Xiangmi Orchard
Shenzhen, China
Xiangmi is a natural retreat where people can escape the hustle and bustle of the noisy urban environments. The juxtaposition of different landscapes provides a wide range of scenarios where people can enjoy the park in different ways. From strolling, through experience paths that cross the lychee forest, to fishing in the natural ponds where rainwater is collected and purified; from playing in the sport fields and playgrounds, to enjoy the locally grown products in blossoming fields -witnessing the agriculture past of the area. While the built environment of Shenzhen is changing rapidly, trees can be seen as its only true and lasting heritage.
The dense lychee forest gives Xiangmi Orchard a unique atmosphere: the goal is to preserve as many of the existing trees as possible. Any construction or intervention should always focus on preserving the trees, almost, as archeological artefacts. The integration of nature with a large variety of new accessible places, makes Xiangmi a living memory of Shenzhen before the unprecedented urban development of the past decades, a botanical journey through the city it used to be.
1. CONNECT: An inviting new hotspot for the neighborhood 2. RE-USE: A symbol for sustainability 3. DIVERSITY: A beautiful collection of natural and artificial settings
While the built environment of Shenzhen is changing rapidly, trees can be seen as its only true and lasting heritage. Besides this, the dense lychee forest gives Xiangmi Orchard a special atmosphere that we consider very valuable. Therefore, our idea is to preserve as many of the existing trees as we can. Any construction or intervention should always focus on keeping the trees intact. The integration of trees within paths, plazas, stairs and buildings, the character Xiangmi Orchard will become even more unique.
The construction of large new buildings like the Flower Expo always starts with excavation. Transporting the excavated soil to another location would require many truck journeys and would therefore cause a large emission of CO2. Rather than considering this excess soil a problem, we use it as a resource. Together with the soil that comes from the enlargement of the lake and the construction of two new ones, it is used to create a sound barrier the park and Xiangmihu Road. The hills are planted with tea bushes and will have small pavilions integrated, as well as the recycling center.
The new pedestrian bridge that connects the westside of the park to the east side adds an entire new level to the experience of the park. Starting from a height of 8 meters above the ground, visitors will have a panoramic overview of the entire park. It connects directly to the higher floors of the natural science library. Above the hill, the bridge submerges through the dense canopy of the lychee forest.
