Xiong Xian New City

For some years the Chinese government has been developing new cities around Beijing to move some of the capital’s functions out of it. The project starts from nature. We wanted a sponge city, with natural spaces inside the city for a healthy quality of life, and each neighbourhood takes its identity from a different treatment of these spaces. The plan follows the traditional Chinese city, with a main central axis running through a main square. The city is divided into four main neighbourhoods: – The Centre, around the central square, traditional in Chinese planning, is a gathering point in front of the existing city hall, with high and medium-rise buildings for offices, housing, shops and public facilities. – The City Belt, separated from the Centre by the Green Belt Park that marks its edge, has medium and low-rise buildings for services, housing, shops and public facilities. – The Old Town is a modern version of the traditional Chinese old town. – The North Neighbourhood uses the archipelago concept: separate urban islands set in nature, for factories and start-ups.