fluXtuation

Year : 2014
Type : competition masterplan
Size : 2 sqkm 
Location : Qianhai, Guangdong, China
Awards : Third Prize
Jury : James Corner (Field Operations), Thom Mayne (Morphosis), Wang Weiren, 
Ma Qingyun, He Jingtang, Yan Xunqi, Yung Ho Chang (FCZA), Cui Kai

The integrated ecological infrastructure of this project emerges from three layers: the diversification of open spaces / activities, the complex multiplicity of connections, the pockets / landforms / platforms / wetlands biodiversity.

The site is wired by a continuous circulation circuit, linking in succession several nodes and generating, through punctual links, a spatial system of interdependent intensities: all the activities are located along the “Loop” – a seamless pedestrian and biking network. The island is situated in the central intersection, connected with the mainland through three bridges. It’s the nodal attractor of the masterplan, the active-pulsating heart of the project through the articulation of the levels and the diversification of the programs, which are activated and deactivated by the tidal oscillations.

The topography is organized into three main levels: uplands, freshwater wetlands and tidal terraces. Given the existing grade, the southern channel is shallower than the northern one. Different platforms of tidal dynamics are planned to strategically embrace the topography and the circulation, designed to provide unique spatial experiences throughout the various environmental conditions of the landscape. A diversity of plant communities are selected according to the humidity and salinity of different terraces. They range from mangrove, saltwater and (cleansing) freshwater wetlands to upland species.

The geometry of the central area is originated by the presence of the activities that have been integrated into its specific landform. At the island core the visitor could experience a brief introduction to the site history, passing through the main exhibition space; he could navigate and enjoy the diversity of material conditions, walking through multiple facilities: a rock-climbing wall overhanging on the central canal, a running track where to train on different slopes, a sunbathing area, a skate-park shaped by seamless and intricate hills...

The topographical reliefs of the central area are elaborated to revolve around the presence of the historical stone. The waterfront is the moment in which the complex articulation of the topography camouflages with the context. The program, the connections and the landforms disappear virtually to visually concretize on the central platform, the highest point of the masterplan where the stone is rendered as the main protagonist of the scene.