HENN: nanotech research and development park

nano-polis – nanotech research and development park, suzhou by HENN
all images courtesy HENN

HENN have won the first prize in the international competition
to design the new ‘nano-polis masterplan’ in suzhou, china. the proposal
was designed by henn architekten’s design & research studio henn studiob.

the concept for nano-polis, a nanotech research and development park in
the city of suzhou drew its inspiration from both traditional chinese urban
planning as well as modern science.

since nanotechnology is the primary focus of the development, the arrangement
and planning of the building mass was done with consideration to scale
and fractal logic. the programmatic needs of the site are divided into sizes S, M, L,
and XL, which are further subdivided and arranged according to specific functions.
this scalar logic integrates various scales from urban to nano and provides opportunities
for the buildings to interact with the users at an intimate human scale as well as creating
large iconic landmarks within the site. like most traditional chinese cities, nano-polis
assumes a rectilinear shape with a clearly defined border and staggered internal
connections. also the idea of the fractal can be found in traditional chinese cities that
are assembled in a recursive logic by blocks, areas, districts, quarters and boroughs,
from S to XL respectively.

the overall development includes a cluster of high and medium-rise buildings surrounding
a central plaza. this area houses most of the administrative, exhibition, conference and public
areas as well as temporary housing facilities. this iconic centre is surrounded by a transitional
‘green belt’ which references the traditional chinese gardens that suzhou is known for.
a natural river flows east to west through the site which feeds a series of ponds, canals,
and water features throughout this zone. this green buffer zone connects by a series of shared
roofscapes, courtyards and galleries to the outer ring: the entire complex is defined by a dense
belt of research and production facilities that create a defined urban edge to the surrounding
context.

the design of nano-polis employs a variety of environmentally responsible systems into its planning.
innovative technologies such as solar harvesting and rainwater collection work together with simple
strategies of pedestrian access and public transportation to decrease energy consumption while
creating a comfortable place to live and work.

aerial view

masterplan

programs

project info:

client: suzhou nanotech develop ltd.
location: suzhou, china
program: r&d, production, office, conference center, exhibition center,
hotel, restaurants, shopping, housing, sports facilities
area: ca. 1,650,000 sqm
competition 2010: 1st prize
local partner: suzhou institute of architectural design (SIAD)
design team henn architects & hennstudiob: christian bechtle, daniel da rocha,
martin henn, markus jacobi, alejandro konrad, paul langley, klaus ransmayr,
max schwitalla, fredrik werner