A symbol of the rapidly expanding Changchu district in the city of Jilin, China, the Changchun Master Plan is a major step in providing the city with an extensive addition of urban program.
Heavily influenced by a site located at a major intersection and a complex strata of program, the master plan is broken down initially by a series of pedestrian passageways that link the site to the surrounding context through an array of walkways and promenades. These lines lend themselves to giving a sense a flow to the site that finds itself manifested through a complex geometric form.
With the amount of program that was required for the site, layering and level changes became a key design factor. With the goal of maintaining a strong sense of public space through lush landscaping and public plazas, the program rises from the ground plane through a series of terraced forms that contain the bulk of the retail program, allowing for a shopping destination that connects with the exterior and key public areas. Through sculpting the base to the network of circulation paths, a dynamic environment forms that lends itself to public interaction. A series of five towers rise from the voids in public paths, framing the plaza space and views and also controlling direct sunlight throughout the space. At the corner of the development rises a 30-story tower that acts as the icon for the master plan. Influenced by the traditional courtyard housing of Chinese vernacular architecture, the tower contains a set of vertical gardens that give inhabitants a space to relax and enjoy the views of the city while working to naturally cool the tower during the summer months.