foster + partners plans 'guangming hub' development for china

foster + partners has been selected to design ‘guangming hub’, a new transport oriented development in china situated on the high-speed rail link that connects hong kong, shenzhen, and guangzhou. the proposal also integrates three new metro lines in the city and is the central focus of a masterplan for the region that aims to create a new urban destination.

‘we are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the designers for the guangming hub — a fantastic opportunity to develop a contemporary urban center with an integrated and sustainable transport hub at its heart,’ says grant brooker, head of studio, foster + partners. ‘the generously landscaped, walkable town center will seamlessly connect to a smart autonomous transportation system, combining both well-being and convenience and creating a vibrant urban focus for the surrounding neighborhoods.’

all images © foster + partners

to devise the ideal urban massing, the integrated team at foster + partners developed a set of key constraints that would influence urban growth in the region. these constraints were fed into a specially created software program, developed by the practice, which then presented an ideal masterplan. the project was then further refined and detailed in terms of integrated transport links, with the ‘guangming hub’ at its heart.

the hub is envisaged as an integral part of the city, well connected with the surroundings in the masterplan area. two major rail lines intersect at the site and the surrounding topography also serves as a significant barrier to movement in and around the site. to overcome this, the masterplan seeks to create a network of slow-moving autonomous vehicles with skybridges and shared surfaces for cyclists and pedestrians.

‘the central idea is to capitalize on the natural beauty of the site, utilizing the lush landscape to create a lively experience for visitors and locals,’ explains young wei-yang chiu, partner, foster + partners. ‘it will be a forest gateway into shenzhen. our proposals link the site with a slow-moving traffic network that provides efficient and easy connection to the hub. these shared surfaces ensure better accessibility throughout the whole masterplan area and create a platform ready for innovative transportation solutions for the future.’

the existing high-speed rail station sits at the center of the site, oriented in the north-south direction. a sunken green spine in the east-west orientation cuts across the site and through the high-speed rail station at ground level. a new metro station is located to the west of the high-speed rail station, straddling the green spine. the intercity link station is located further west, towards the edge of the site, connecting the hub to the city.

a large retail podium sits atop the underground metro and intercity link stations, with stepped green terraces that create a link with the surrounding forest, looking onto the central green spine. inspired by traditional chinese gateways, a series of office towers marks important entryways to the site. the openings at the ground level of the tower buildings mark the central access to high-speed rail station, while subways and bridges to neighboring plots create convenient connections for pedestrians, cyclists, and autonomous vehicles.

a new transport museum is situated on the bridge over the high-speed rail station, connecting the eastern and western halves of the site. visitors will be able to enjoy futuristic exhibition displays using latest VR, AR and projection mapping technologies against the panoramic view of the high-speed rail station. in addition to controlled wind and solar access, the project maximizes landscape areas, public amenities and pedestrian priority to provide enjoyable outdoor spaces. see other projects by foster + partners on designboom here.

project info:

name: guangming hub
location: guangming district, shenzhen, china
architect: foster + partners
status: competition-winning design