Goettsch Partners wins master plan competition for Guangzhou, China

US-based architect Goettsch Partners has won the master plan design competition for an important site within the new Pazhou district in Guangzhou, China.

The triangular site will contain seven buildings totaling 428000 m2 and is located along the Pearl River Delta, with the Pazhou district shaping the city's eastward expansion.

The client and developer is Poly Real Estate (Group) Co., Ltd., one of China's leading state-owned real estate companies.

The development will have a nautical theme based around a spiral containing a large public piazza, which helps unify the master plan while separating pedestrians and vehicles.

Sustainable design initiatives include a series of elevated bridges that provide unobstructed "breezeways" and shade for the ground level, which also house indoor social spaces linking the towers. They will be topped with habitable garden spaces to minimize the urban heat-island effect.

A landmark tower at the northeast corner of the site anchors the development in the skyline, positioned for maximum visibility and presence. The six other buildings encircle the piazza and are designed with podium-level retail and dining venues that activate the public spaces.

Sky bridges between buildings define the perimeter of the piazza and link the complex, while maximizing views to the riverfront and adjacent canal. These elevated structures also form gateways that lend an overall permeability to the complex.

In the piazza, a terraced court rises from the site's lower-level pedestrian access, passing beneath the development's main connecting roadway. Lined with retail and restaurants, this court features a series of distinct landscaped amenities and terminates at a jewel-like exhibition facility, intended to be an educational and cultural venue.

This entire network of pedestrian pathways also has a direct link to the area's subway lines, providing convenient and intuitive access to the development.

An aerial view of Goettsch Partners' winning master plan for the new Pazhou district in Guangzhou, China. Image: Goettsch Partners)