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Architects: eLandscript Studio
- Area: 130000 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Yong Zhang, Tianpei Zeng, Wenjian Liao
Text description provided by the architects. The 13-hectare Haoxiang Lake Park, designed by eLandscript, is located in Bao'an District, Shenzhen. It is connected to four urban rivers including Pailao River, Xinqiao River, Wanfeng River and Tantou River. As an important stormwater retention pond, it has played an important role in local flood control and pollution interception. However, due to the deteriorating water quality and the occupation of industrial plants around the lake, it has been gradually forgotten by the surrounding residents.
This project started in 2019. Haoxiang Lake and the surrounding watershed jointly carried out ecological management, which greatly improved the overall water quality. Through the opportunity of urban renewal, the space surrounding the lake is re-positioned and planed as an open waterfront park. It cites flexible regeneration methods to bring positive environmental impacts, and solve the growing community residents' demands for the use of open space, and the social problems brought about by the rapid development of the city.
Reconnect The Waterfront: An 850-meter pedestrian loop reconnects the four riverside spaces and collides with the site in different areas to create landscape anchor points, such as the Rainbow Bridge, the Sluice Overlook, and the Flora Trellis Café.
The design of Flora Trellis Café collaborates with LAAB Architects, using a parametric rhombus roof and curtain wall. Cafe and toilets are arranged on both sides of the station, and the open space in the middle is connected with the park, which is a popular leisure place for citizens.
The design of Rainbow Bridge collaborates with SBP, using a total length of 238 meters of curved steel box girder structure, with a maximum span of 77 meters. In order to minimize the impact on the river and the environment, a rainbow bridge across the river was born, becoming the best viewing spot for overlooking the park and surrounding cities.
Resilience Regeneration: In addition to low-impact environmental facilities such as constructed wetlands and stranded lawns, a more flexible waterfront can also attract citizens to experience and recognize nature, and to understand the protection of the water environment. After careful evaluation of flooding analysis, the original 600-meter-long revetment vertical retaining wall was transformed into an ecological gabion-wall cascade wetland. While purifying the water body, it creates an ecological community habitat and provides multi-dimensional hydrophilic possibilities, including Elevated Reedbank Promenade, and the rock promenade that can be submerged under the flood.
Cultural Renewal: The team proposed to retain the original Shajing power plant building and transform it into a cultural and creative exhibition hall, reiterating the cultural attributes of the urban heritage, and designing various activity spaces around its surroundings, including the Oyster-Shell Water Maze and Education Wetland, a grand lawn gathering events and cultural performances. The local traditional Oyster-Shell Wall technique was also used in the project, and the built scenery wall demonstrated this superb craft with cultural meaning to the citizens.
The Haoxiang Lake Park project has been completed and opened in 2021. It will be used as the venue for the annual Oyster Cultural Festival which is the grand platform for the exchange and display of local culture.