Hong Kong – Aedas was recently commissioned to design Poly’s Timber Factory Plots Redevelopment Project in Chengdu, providing urban renewal to a historically important area of the city. With the TOD model being the foundation of this project, the design encapsulates the site's prime location and urban context, creating an imperative and crucial commercial and business hub on the central axis of the city.
Adjacent to the city's Second Ring Road and North Railway Station, the redevelopment project stands as a gateway to Chengdu's North Central Business District. The timber factory and traditional market nearby have been a witness of Chengdu’s rapid economic and urban development, while also carried memories of the local communities.
The site is adjacent to Metro Line 5 and 7 interchange stations and the Second Ring Road BRT station on the North, and also overlooks Metro Line 1 and Chengdu North Station. Surrounded by a plethora of transportation options, the design adopts the TOD model to build a three-dimensional composite cross-block transportation network and, in doing so, stitches the surrounding area together. The core commercial site is vertically linked from the MRT station's concourse Level to the BRT's link bridge Level and above. It is seamlessly connected to surrounding slow-moving systems through multi-level public spaces, such as the sky bridge and sunken plaza.
The development of a green axis landscape encompasses the site's surrounding water system, creating an urban and green ecological network within the project. The ample greenery also reserves a public space for citizens to enjoy tranquility and scenic views in a bustling business district in downtown Chengdu.
To celebrate the city's heritage and unite the past and present, the design draws inspiration from the wood processing plant through the depiction of wood stack mounds within the architectural contours, exterior detailing and sculptural display in the commercial atrium.
The project is expected to be completed in 2022.