Aedas has won the competition for the Gulou District 2019 G61 Qingliangmen Street Project in Nanjing, China.
Located in the first developed area of Hexi New City, Qingliangmen Street is wreathed in commercial spirit, radiated from the Hexi CBD, the second largest central business district in East China, which has taken root here for the riverside view and superb geographical conditions. The project sits in the northwest corner between Qingliangmen Street and Jiangdong Road, facing the Yangtze River in the west and Nanhe River in the east. It is surrounded by supporting facilities and metro lines, forming a dense population and complex urban texture.

"Faced with complex urban context and various business needs of the project, we wish to service the city with our design, to enhance the vitality thereon, while minimising the environmental impact on surrounding communities. We will create a unique new business card for the city while responding to the unique historical heritage of Qingliangmen area." said Kevin Wang, Aedas Global Design Principal.
The design integrates multiple elements and ties them together with a circular retail podium below the apartment and office towers. To secure sunlight intake for the low-rise residential buildings north of site, the towers are deliberately distributed along the east, south and west sire boundary.

Through modulating tower orientation and blunting the edges, it eases visual oppression on pedestrians and allows the development to blend in with the city texture. An urban square is created on the space occasioned by the retreat of the revolving towers; together with the entrance and central squares, they form a series of social space for the public.

The design draws inspiration from the ancient city wall of Qingliangmen. The solid interlocking blocks of the tower volume reflect the robust city wall, connoting steady and reliable progress. The four towers are unified under the same architectural language, echoing the Qingliangmen city wall while creating a distinct visual building complex.

In order to build a vibrant commercial podium, the design heeds the allure of the entrance space, creating multiple along the street to facilitate the flow of people from all directions. Above the entrance square, a transparent glass curtain wall with lighting effects projects a buoyant box, creating an arresting focal point that juxtaposes with the sturdy tower. The podium interior is outlined with circular motion lines, where three atrium spaces of different scale are constructed to interact harmoniously with the internal outdoor courtyards.

“We hope to invigorate the area with a unique circular commercial form and a central square, and improve the city with high-quality office buildings and apartments—promoting the all-rounded development of the Hexi New City.”