In "A Dual Reflection on Urban Coordinates (Part I)," we reviewed the competition design for the Wuhan Great River Center, focusing on a city grid layout that fully opens up to the public, creating an "Urban Convergence".

In mid-2024, we were honored to receive a design commission from the project owner, China Resources Land, for a new design task: to develop a new urban complex community based on the spatial layout specified by the owner, incorporating a combination of an art center, large commercial floorplates, hotels, and office spaces.

From open-ended creation to a defined brief, from conceptualization to implementation, this article will further reflect and explore the questions of "What is a Coordinate?" and "How to Coordinate?". In the interweaving of governmental planning, development demands, future occupant experiences, and public urban interests, we aim to find a feasible path. The project began construction in August, and the art center has already been completed and is in use.

What Is the Coordinate?

A Fusion of Diversity, A Hybrid Block

Public openness is our ideal vision for the new coordinate architecture. In the competition proposal, the concept of an "Urban Convergence" was manifested through the activation of the vitality of public spaces in the district. In the finalized proposal, with the shift in functional positioning and the refinement of usage requirements, "openness" is redefined as an integration of multi-dimensional spatial narratives—encompassing the intertwining of public and private realms, as well as the complex organization of pedestrian flows and functional modules.

How to seek dynamic balance among these complex and diverse demands, in order to achieve efficient linkage of urban space, shared landscape resources, and publicness of the place, remains the underlying logic of our interpretation of “What is the coordinate.” As the project’s positioning shifted from a high-end office park to a mixed-use community, our understanding of “coordinate” also evolved from the broad concept of “Urban Convergence” to the more specific, daily-life-oriented “Hybrid Block”.

Unlike the competition scheme, which integrates the city grid layout, the "Double Y-shape + L-shape" provided by the client presents an alienated spatial structure within the horizontal and vertical grid of the city. We continue the concept of the competition scheme's vertical zoning design and "habitat base": on a human scale, we optimize the scale and guide the space to dissolve the sense of distance and alienation brought by the heterogeneous layout; on a macro scale, differentiated architectural images and efficient accessibility are used to establish the urban coordinate. The "habitat base" plays the role of a multi-level, multi-flow hub to facilitate the interaction of different functions and the diversion of various groups.

As the project's functional positioning becomes clearer, the demands for privacy and publicness from different groups are also more defined. Thus, the creation of natural habitats becomes another central theme in the design to resolve spatial conflicts. Through multi-level, flexible landscape strategies that integrate with the river view and the surrounding environment, the architecture seeks to blend seamlessly with the site and the waterfront greenbelt. This approach aims to achieve openness and mutual benefit with the surrounding environment on both visual and functional levels.

How to Coordinate?

Hybrid, Vital, Multi-dimensional, Public

Based on the ideal prototype of "Urban Convergence" proposed in the competition scheme, which emphasizes convenient accessibility, pleasant scale, diverse functions, and open places, the "Hybrid Block" scheme deepens this concept by focusing on the relationships at three scales: urban, block, and space. The approach ranges from layout adjustments to scale coordination, from spatial strategies to composite experiences, and from complete openness to multi-level openness, maximizing integration with the environment and stimulating new vitality.

| Hybrid: Distinct Fabric, Compatible Scales

The overall architecture continues the "Yangtze River screen" concept proposed during the competition phase, with the individual volumes maintaining a three-part vertical division. The eight slab towers adopt a segmented form with forward and backward shifting, creating setbacks to expand the outdoor terrace spaces. This optimizes the horizontal scale and strengthens the architectural form's resonance with the riverfront, shaping a dynamic and rhythmic skyline.

The "holographic base" in the lower zone connects the eight towers with the surrounding community and the riverside urban greenbelt through three-dimensional pathways, creating a multi-dimensional public system. The ground floor is designed as an open street block, and at a height of 10.5 meters, a community high-line park is established. Through street-level, human-scale commercial boxes, horizontally shifted sky streets, and fragmented greenery, along with the dissolved architectural volume, the design aims to create a more approachable urban spatial scale.

When shaping the riverside coordinate architecture for Wuhan, the River City, we naturally drew inspiration from the imagery symbolizing cultural memories associated with the Yangtze River and its ripples. We translated the ripples into a rhythmic language for the building's façade, where the glass curtain walls mirror the expansive Yangtze River, recreating the shimmering visual effect of the water’s surface.

While reviewing relevant literature, we discovered that the metal components on the unitized curtain wall coincidentally align with the textural imagery of "the vast Yangtze River" depicted in the Song Dynasty painter Ma Yuan's Twelve Scrolls of Water. This connection allows the historical scene of the Yangtze River flowing through traditional painting to be reinterpreted and reintroduced into the modern urban context in a new way.

| Towards Vitality: Centripetal Layout, Vitality Circles

Derived from the early urban design concept's Y-shaped layout, the three towers within the single plot are arranged in a centripetal enclosing relationship, creating stability and privacy.

Centered around the central landscape courtyard, we have planned two "Vital Loops": the outer loop system connecting the waterfront green belt, riverside pedestrian corridor, railway culture corridor, and open street block, as well as the "Vital Ring" linking the interior and exterior of the park. These loops open up the space to varying degrees, effectively channeling different groups based on their functional needs.

Take the C2 plot as an example. The underground Level 2 parking space connects to the overall underground ring road of the district, releasing some parking spots for public use. City residents can access the shared functional spaces within the "Vital Loop" either through the public parking lot, the underground multifunctional hall, or via the main street entrance. The ground level features shared commercial streets, the Railway Cultural Walkway, and the Riverside Pedestrian Corridor, all accessible to the public.

The main entrance of the Art Center is supported by an array of 8 white UHPC tree-like columns, forming a 10.5-meter high space that serves as a visual guide and a landmark.

The central courtyard of the "Vital Loop" integrates lighting, landscaping, and circulation, achieving efficient connectivity between floors and effective crowd flow through a circular path.

| Multidimensional: From Spatial Composition to Multifaceted Experience

"Three-dimensional" as a spatial strategy effectively addresses the issue of spatial dimensions through features like aerial walkways and underground spaces. In response to more complex crowd and functional demands, the "multi-dimensional" strategy points to a more integrated experience. By incorporating mixed-use elements such as a city living room, art center, and commercial district, the design creates a 24/7 vibrant community that serves both the project's users and provides differentiated experiences and convenience for the public.

The atrium space is centered around multi-layer waterfall landscapes and vertical greenery, while incorporating functions such as art exhibitions, urban leisure, and scenic check-in spots, creating an inclusive public activity space.

Facilities such as the art center, multifunctional hall, gym, swimming pool, and lounge are distributed across different floors from the second basement to the ground level, fully catering to a wide range of social and wellness needs.

| Public: Hierarchical Openness

The balance between privacy and publicness is another major challenge in the functional organization of the project. To address this, we have planned a multi-level open space system to foster the unique public character of the project.

The "publicness" here implies a multi-level open logic, addressing the diverse needs of various groups, including internal users, surrounding community members, and broader city citizens. The design employs a tiered strategy with garden landscapes, public sky streets, and open green corridors, ensuring that the expectations and demands of each group are balanced and effectively addressed.

Based on the full integration of internal spaces and the external river view resources, the high-rise towers adopted a more feasible ribbed grid beam cantilever structure, providing a flexible and adaptable spatial layout, while reserving flexible space for uncertain usage scenarios.

The Y-shaped layout creates two open spaces at the riverfront street corner. Through a de-wall strategy, we have established a large-scale shared space and a smaller-scale sharing space—visually accessible views are shared with the city, while the high-quality garden landscape is shared with park users and surrounding residents.

A New Definition of Urban Coordinates Along the Yangtze River

The Yangtze River waterfront area carries a deep historical memory and unique regional culture. In the context of continuous urbanization, albeit at a slower pace, the significance of urban coordinate architecture has expanded from a mere symbol of city identity or commercial consumption center to a multi-dimensional, high-quality urban connection node.

From the traditional "Shared Coordinates" shaped by open forms to the present "Sharing Block" formed through multi-level openness, Great Yangtze River revitalizes the urban fabric with the lively atmosphere of a new city neighborhood and urban memory. By integrating public art, commerce, culture, and lifestyle, Great Yangtze River creates a forward-looking urban living complex that not only provides the public with a new type of living space but also redefines the contemporary cultural significance of "coordinates."

In early December, the early opening of the Art Center, marked by the inaugural recital of world-renowned pianist Maksim, provided the public with a culturally significant experience. This event served as a key starting point in shaping the urban memory.

After a year and a half of exploration in designing the waterfront urban coordinates, the project is steadily progressing toward becoming a tangible space. We look forward to its continued creation of diverse living possibilities and urban memories, bridging the city and nature, culture and the public.

Project Name: Great Yangtze River

Architecture Scheme Design and Design Development: line+ studio

Chief Architect/Project Principal: Zhu Peidong

Design Team: Wu Haiwen, Zhou Yang, Deng Chao, Zhu Xiongfei, Zhang Qunchen, Sun Jin, Liu Hao

Diagram Drawing: Du Mengying

Client: Yujiang Kun (Wuhan) Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.

Interior Design: Yu Studio, Hong Kong Zheng Zhong Design Office (CCD)

Landscape Design: Platform Design Group

Facade Design: cimafacade

Lighting Design: BPI Lighting Design

Construction Drawing Design: Wuhan Zhenghua Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

Project Location: Wuhan, Hubei

Building Area: 207,000 m²

Structure: Frame structure, Steel structure

Materials: UHPC, Stone-like aluminum panels, Hollow Low-E glass

Photography: Chen Xi Studio, line+

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