xi'an jiaotong university unveils technological innovation harbor in china

xi’an jiaotong university unveils technological innovation harbor in china
all images courtesy of xi’an jiaotong university

xi’an jiaotong university has unveiled details of a new innovation hub and campus dedicated to the fields of science and business. the huge project, which will be built on the outskirts of xi’an, a city in central china, will be funded by the country’s ministry of housing and urban-rural development together with the world bank and private investors.

located along the wei river, the flat agricultural plot is to be transformed into an urbanized park that exists in harmony with the natural environment. as part of the project’s first stage, xi’an jiaotong university will build their new campus inside a 291 hectare district, allowing large technology companies to mingle with start-ups and research scientists. it is forecast that the development would provide homes, education and employment for around 40,000 people. it is also hoped that the campus will kick-start economic and social development along the neighboring silk road, becoming a desired destination for international academic success.

the huge project will be built on the outskirts of xi’an, a city in central china

professor dr helmut bott from stuttgart university, who leads the masterplan design development together with the architectural design office faro*style, states that the plan ‘offers an academic blueprint for the future co-existence between the city and the countryside’. the district is composed as a series of distinctive towns, each consisting of education, research, commercial and residential areas. these neighborhoods culminate at the riverfront — which is planned to become one of xi’an’s most active civic spaces — and fan out into the agricultural fields designated for experimental crops.

the riverfront is planned to become one of xi’an’s most active civic spaces

the city grid is designed to be highly flexible so it can benefit from emergent technologies and respond to lessons learned during the implementation of the initial phase. expansion of the districts has been anticipated from the outset, allowing growth in unforeseeable ways. the 15 billion RMB ($2.3 billion USD) investment will be a public-private partnership between xi’an jiaotong university and the government, which will provide the land, backed up with additional investment from the world bank. it is estimated to be in full operation by 2020.

the ‘xi’an innovation harbor’ will be on display during beijing design week 2015 (september 24 – october 30) as part of the ‘next city lab’ exhibition.