SOM Redevelopment Plan for Beijing District Wins International Competition
The proposed district would also include cultural venues and high-rises.
Staff -- Interior Design, 2/23/2010 12:00:00 AM
Leave it to Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM) to bring hot dogs and pretzels to Beijing. The Chicago and China offices of the architecture powerhouse recently won an international competition to guide the redevelopment in Beijing's Wangjing zone with a plan to insert a version of the home of those two delicacies—New York's Central Park.
The competition was held by the Planning Bureau of the Chaoyang District, home to the Wangjing zone, an area approximately seven miles from Beijing Capital International Airport with a large South Korean population that sprouted high-rises during the 1990's with little commercial support. SOM created a new urban model for Wangjing, which means "view of Beijing," that calls for a "sustainable engine" similar to New York's Central Park to passively heat and cool the area reducing the need for water-consuming cooling towers and cutting down on carbon emissions and the use of natural resources.
SOM's master plan would support up to approximately 1.6 million square feet and calls for the park to anchor a surrounding area of high-density, mixed-use development including a cluster of office and residential towers. The plan also sets a goal for 80 percent of resident and worker travel to be made by public transportation, walking, or bicycle.
"We saw this project as a demonstration. It offered us the opportunity to present new ways of thinking about reduced carbon footprints in cities," says SOM design partner Peter Ruggiero. "Our solution is an integrated comprehensive approach to urban design, architecture and the environment."
Image courtesy of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.
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