Connect historic scroll to urban design today

Qingming Water City Urban Design

Location: Kaifeng, China
Client: Zhengzhou Vanke Xicheng Co. Ltd

Program: 658,000 Ha

Kaifeng, in Henan Province, is one of eight ancient capitals in China. Qingming Water City is located at Southern-East corner of the Kaifeng city. It’s positioning and design is inspired by the Qingming Shanghe Map, a historical masterpiece representing everyday life in old time China.

How to recreate the lively neighborhood with high quality natural environment based on such an ancient map? Studying the painting, we see attractions, markets, public spaces, and we find the transition between city parks and nature outside the wall. We read a spatial structure and logic of different character areas in the ancient city. We consider historical attractions and natural river in the site as key elements and opportunities. And then we started to designing: life along the river, living within the wall, and living in the nature.

Stages:
2018 competition design complete

Team:
MLA+: Kexin Huang, Martin Probst, Brechtje Spreeuwers, Wenchi Yang, Yi Yu, Milena Zaklanovic