Research Institute of Architecture,Southeast University: Winner of World Design Awards 2024. Nestled at the vibrant juncture of Nanjing’s Shangyuanmen riverside scenic belt, this project lights up a key zone along the mighty Yangtze River. With a design that stretches out horizontally, it weaves together the Yangtze’s captivating waterscape and the lively riverside scenic belt. A Y-shaped layout directs pedestrian movements and aligns with the city’s structural axis, while its vertical folds ingeniously link the urban surface with the natural waterfront. Hidden within these folds, a robust combination of steel box-beam constructions, light wells, and perforations effectively reduce the structural load. More than just a bustling urban stopover providing public services, this platform transcends to become a beacon of urban ecology protecting the riverbank’s ecology with its sophisticated and multifaceted landscape system.

The structure, resembling folded paper, emerges from the urban layout, seamlessly integrating the surrounding chaotic grid with its crisp, folded form. Spanning busy streets with a gentle slope, the design seamlessly links vibrant urban areas to the tranquil path atop the dike, uniting public spaces with the greenway. This breathes new life into neglected land, carving out recreational havens by the river and pioneering innovative paths in landscape architecture across Nanjing’s urban vista.

Located at the end of the central north axis, where the Gulou and Muyan sections of the riverside scenery belt intersect, the site’s surrounding urban grid is relatively complex, adding to the design challenge. Southward, the presence of an active subway station entry introduces a complex layer to the design, with the underground crossing and the subway’s effect on the project’s span presenting distinct challenges. Northward, the wild grass-covered Yangtze riverbanks delineate a zone of transformation, acting as a vital point of ecological equilibrium between the urban environment and the river’s margin. A crucial design focus was to uphold ecological integrity and maintain the existing flood dike’s function while bridging the boundaries between urbanism and nature.

At the heart of the design is the integration of architectural structure with the natural landscape, overcoming numerous challenges to explore and innovate in landscape architecture, contributing to the sustainable equilibrium between Nanjing’s urban fabric and its natural surroundings.

Horizontal and Vertical Layout Strategy

The horizontal and vertical organization is a cornerstone of the overall design, reinforcing the spatial connection between the city and the river horizontally and perpetuating the continuity of the riverside scenic belt with the flood dike greenway vertically. The design innovatively employs three layers of horizontally folded plates, serving both as a robust structural foundation and a guide for the flow of movement, creating a visually and spatially dynamic environment. Vertically embedded light cavities create functional spaces and introduce natural light, while meticulously carved-out openings enhance the spatial experience. The overall structure combines steel box beams and folded plates, forming a cohesive structural system that balances strength and aesthetics while facilitating complex design ideas within limited spaces. This approach ingeniously addresses the technical challenge of being unable to set up support structures within a 37.5-meter buffer zone from the subway. Additionally, the thoughtful consideration of the site’s topography harmonizes the disparate levels of the terrain, seamlessly merging divided parcels and smoothing out elevation variances to create a cohesive landscape.

The Y-shaped structure reaches out towards the Yangtze river beach, the viewing platform, and urban traffic. With the design adapting to seasonal water level fluctuations, it adjusts the vegetation distribution on the abandoned river beach outside the flood dike, creating a multi-layered landscape system. Within the dike, the terrain is recontoured and strengthened, echoing the rolling contours of Mufu Mountain and forming dynamic, folded spatial tiers. Moreover, the top of the dike, while facilitating everyday activities such as cycling and jogging, is also designed to permit the passage of small fire engines during emergencies.

Interlocking Folded Plates

The project employs a Y-shaped element and three sets of interlocking folded plates as structural support. These upper plates are crafted to echo the natural undulations of nearby Mufu Mountain and Tiger Hill, organically blending the viewing platform with its surroundings. The solar-paneled top plates feature parametrically designed holes that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional, introducing natural light during the day while capturing solar energy for environmental benefits and eco-efficiency. These strategically placed openings also offer an enchanting play of light in the night. A variety of glass cells structured vertically, evolving from enclosed, semi-open, and open spaces, are designed to cater to different lighting preferences, significantly enhancing the spatial experience and encouraging interaction with the surrounding landscape.

Multifaceted Connections

Bridging the gap between Nanjing’s urban landscape and the Yangtze River, the viewing platform stands as a central urban node. Its horizontal layout, comprising walkways and bike lanes, serves as an effective transitional conduit. The horizontal pedestrian system and cycling greenway act as urban transitional connections. The incorporation of accessible ramps ensures an effortless journey from the city’s hustle and bustle to the serene riverside, extending the urban grid in a natural progression. The expansive staircase with assorted step sizes accommodates everyday travel and doubles as a venue for specific activity spaces such as climbing and roller skating. Furthermore, the low-lying area is designated as a safe children playground, underscoring the design’s versatility and accommodating a wide spectrum of urban activities within a welcoming and inclusive framework.

Riverbank Ecology

The project adopts a low-intervention approach to revitalizing the neglected river beach, preserving native vegetation including dwarf cattail, purple-leaved banana, and short bulrush. It thoughtfully integrates land-based species like metasequoia and Chinese tallow trees with aquatic plants like reeds and iris, enhancing shoreline stability. This plant selection serves a dual purpose: purifying the water by absorbing harmful nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus and furnishing suitable habitats for birds. The design also features pathways accessible in the dry season, fulfilling citizens’ desires for direct engagement with aquatic environments and relaxation, harmoniously merging urban life with the natural world with a more inclusive and inviting atmosphere.

Urban Living Room and Cultural Relations

Upon its unveiling, the Shangyuanmen Viewing Platform will emerge as a pivotal element among Nanjing’s nine urban public places compositing the riverside scenery belt, opening up new avenues for transforming neglected urban zones into vibrant spaces from multiple dimensions – spatial, environmental, and urban. As a primary urban waystation, the project directly connects to the city’s subway entrance, enhancing the area’s pedestrian flow and spatial vitality. Beyond meeting the diverse activity needs of citizens of all ages, the project innovatively employs interactive glass lighting, multifunctional step seating that transforms into a cinema space, ambient bridge lighting, and dynamic plaza sculptures, thereby enriching the urban living experience to enhance the human-landscape interaction. This fosters a stronger sense of community well-being and uplifts the community’s quality of life.The Shangyuanmen Viewing Platform through its innovative landscape architecture design, echoes Nanjing’s development strategy “Two shores, One Unity.” It not only remedies the problem of neglected land and terminating roadways but also propels the refurbishment of surrounding commercial districts and aged industrial monuments. Stretching towards the river’s natural shores, the platform forges a bond between urbanization and the wilderness, invigorating the urban landscape with a focus on community engagement and inclusivity, and contributing to the emergence of an integrated urban ecosystem.

Project Details:-
Firm
Research Institute of Architecture,Southeast University

Architect
Siwei ZHANG

Project Name
Landscape design of Nanjing Shangyuanmen Riverfront Scene Belt Observation Deck

Project Category
Landscape Design Concept

Team
Research Institute of Architecture,Southeast University

Project Location
N/A

Country
China

Photography ©Credit
Research Institute of Architecture,Southeast University

Institute of Architecture Southeast University, established in 1979, is under the guidance of Yang Tingbao and Qi Kang，who has cultivated batches of outstanding architects in the past forty years. The  Research Institute of Architecture SEU has mainly focused on architectural design and architectural history theory, carrying out a large number of architecture projects and urban designs in developed areas of China, as well as the related research of urbanization and urban system. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Institute proposed the research framework of the overall architecture of the livable environment, and successively presided over and participated in the completion of key scientific research projects.

---