Scitech Redevelopment Beijing, PCD Stores, UNStudio Jian Wai Street Design

Scitech Redevelopment Beijing Building, China

Scitech Building design by UNStudio Architects, The Netherlands

Design: UNStudio

Location: Beijing, China

Scitech Redevelopment, Beijing, China

Date: 2011

image : UNStudio

Renders and Visualizations: Methanoia, Buenos Aires, AR / UNstudio

25 Apr 2012

Scitech Beijing

Scitech Redevelopment, Beijing, China, 2011

Crossing point

The Scitech mixed-use redevelopment is located on a crossing point of traditional and modern developments in the Chinese city of Beijing. The site is adjacent to the city’s east-west central axis leading to the Tiananmen Square.

This crossing point is defined as an area that is neither part of the modern high rise clusters, nor the low rise courtyard houses of the Beijing Hutong area; it is a hybrid of both. Due to its setting between these traditional and the modern urban areas, the site itself therefore presents the possibility to capitalise on the intrinsic qualities of both.

image : UNStudio

Interweaving

The massing strategy for the plot focuses on creating optimal links between the mixed-use programming of the redevelopment, whilst interweaving a dense low rise development with a high rise component. Simultaneously, through phasing the redevelopment, the existing retail mall is integrated into the design from the outset.

In the low rise portion of the new development, a series of connected courtyards organise the different programmes around the user flows to form an urban carpet. This provides outdoor and indoor spaces which combine programmes through internal and external links. This five to seven storey high podium is designed as an undulating landscape that organises the traffic flows on its perimeters, whilst providing interior green and sheltered spaces for pedestrian access.

The high rise towers emerge from the low rise development and provide singular usage for hotel and office premises. In the intersection with the low rise podium, functions are allocated accordingly to create maximum synergy between activities in the low rise zone and the towers. The public zones in the towers are highlighted by connected atria and voids.

The design interweaves the activities of the existing development with the new and the future developments of Scitech. The high rise programme (hotel, office) and the future residential towers interconnect with the shopping and support functions in the low rise podium. Several attractors and anchors are placed in strategic positions of the site.

The location of a Spa and a 5-star hotel restaurant is adjacent to the high-end luxury zone of the shopping mall. The conference and fitness area are close to the office tower.

The fitness zone and urban leisure program situated on the roof of the podium can be used by both office workers and people living in the residential areas, whilst the integration of the food and beverage clusters in the podium creates attractor spaces within the urban carpet.

images : UNStudio

Integrating

By considering the existing mall in the first stage of the larger urban masterplan strategy the connections between the old and the new development are strengthened. The internal organisation of the mall and its routing are optimised to combine with the organisation pattern of the new zone.

Physical parameters, such as floor heights, entrance locations and special positioning are taken into consideration for the extension strategy. Therefore, when refurbishing the existing mall at a later stage, the new perimeters for the existing retail outlets can be based on the same organisational pattern as the new mall.

The circular shop boundaries and courtyards, the routing within the landscape and several voids, and vertical circulation elements will guide the user through the new mall, encouraging exploration of stores on the upper levels and throughout each level. A series of attractors connected to the hotel and office program, arts, entertainment, and leisure will guide the customers flow through the development.

The podium is primarily dedicated to retail function with 5 levels underground and 8 Levels above ground, including spa and conference facilities located within the upper floor and roofscape. Three underground levels provide parking facilities, whilst the remaining two house a supermarket, food court and programmatically arranged drop offs to sustain the ground level for pedestrians.

These levels have visual links and vertical circulation to the upper levels through a series of voids. The main circulation concept utilises clustered atriums instead of one central atrium. This concept enables stretched diagonal visual and physical links as well as local aggregations of varied atmospheres.

Mono-functional Towers

The development of the two mono-functional towers contributes to clear customer routing and a diversification of activities. The tower locations are points of intense programming, where the towers penetrate the low rise shopping podium and focus on a spatial experience.

The hotel tower is anchored in the podium by its atrium space, which is formed by a transgression from the podium void into the void space in the tower, which continues into the lift lobby at each hotel storey. Each of the 23 floors of the hotel tower has 16 rooms of approximately 55 m2, totaling up to 306 keys for the five star hotel. Additional provisions include a sky bar on the 35 level, private dining facilities, an exclusive lounge and a president’s suite.

The commercial tower is planned as a flexible office tower with 29 floors. For the complete office tower, the principles of natural ventilation, maximising use of daylight and providing fresh air are integrated within the overall building design.

images : UNStudio

Scitech Beijing Redevelopment – Building Information

Title: Beijing New Scitech Reconstruction, Beijing, China, 2011
Location: Jian Wai Street, Beijing, China
Programme: Retail, office and hotel
Client: PCD Stores (Group) Limited
Consultants: Arup International Consultants (Shanghai)Co., Ltd

Design Year: 2010-11
Construction Year: TBC
Planned Completion Date: TBC
Planned Opening: TBC

Building Information
Site Dimensions: 26,300 sqm
Building Height: 220m & 145m
Number of Floors Below Grade: 5
Number of Floors Above Grade: 44 & 35
Floor Area Gross: 250,000 sqm (above ground)
Status: Competition entry, First prize

Credits
UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Caroline Bos, Astrid Piber, Hannes Pfau with Jürgen Heinzel, Jörg Lonkwitz and Shuyan Chan, Shuojiong Zhang, Qiyuan Ding, Craig Yan, David Chen, Stella Shen

Advisors
Arup International Consultants, Shanghai, CN

Renderings and Visualizations: Methanoia, Buenos Aires, AR / UNstudio

UN Studio

Scitech Redevelopment Beijing images / information from UNStudio

Location: Jian Wai, Beijing, People’s Republic of China