Introduction
In Zhuhai’s Hengqin Huafa Plaza, Xisui Design has created the Birds Homeward, Fish Afloatchildren’s activity space. Centering on Hengqin’s local ecological resources—including mangroves, Chinese white dolphins, and migratory bird routes—the design integrates nature education with all-age play functions into the commercial setting. It builds a urban public space that combines ecological narrative, parent-child interaction, and commercial value.

Project Background
Hengqin Island boasts both unique ecological endowments and commercial development needs: as a key stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory birds, it is home to Chinese white dolphin habitats and mangrove ecosystems. Adjacent to Huafa Commercial Plaza, the project needed to balance children’s play with driving commercial foot traffic.The design uses Birds Homeward, Fish Afloatas its narrative thread:
• “Birds Homeward” echoes Hengqin’s role as a migratory bird stopover and subtly aligns with the region’s development context.
• “Flying Fish” takes Zhuhai’s city mascot—the Chinese white dolphin—as its prototype, conveying the concept of local species conservation.
Through artistic installation language, the design achieves a deep integration of ecological education, parent-child interaction, and commercial circulation.

Design Development
The site is zoned by age group, balancing children’s experience with parents’ supervision needs:
• Toddler Area: Equipped with mini wooden stump bird nests and gentle slope slides, using safe, rounded facilities to meet younger children’s exploratory needs.
• Children’s Area: Features mangrove treehouse climbing nets, music box birds, and log swings to stimulate curiosity and physical coordination.
• Teen Area: Includes a white dolphin complex installation, flying fish slides, and a skate bowl, catering to teens’ physical challenge needs.
• All-Age Skate Area: Introduces youth-oriented sports like skateboarding and rollerblading into the commercial space—advocating a healthy lifestyle while adding vitality and spectator appeal.
Meanwhile, height-adjusted retaining walls isolate the site from road noise, and parent rest areas create a closed loop of play → accompany → mall consumption. This synergizes parent-child needs with the space’s commercial attributes.

The Floating Dolphin
The 25-meter-long giant white dolphin installation—core of the site—uses a steel frame with an exterior combining bamboo wood and retro stainless steel corrosion plates (steampunk style). It creates a “floating flying fish” visual effect.Inside, climbing nets, slides, and observation terraces offer multi-layered interactions (weaving, diving, sightseeing). At night, an internal warm light + external contour lightdesign ensures safety, outlines the dolphin’s shape, and lets acrylic windows glow with internal light—making it a focal point of the district’s night view.

Mangrove Installation
Inspired by Hengqin’s mangroves, it uses log wood and curved branches to mimic mangrove branches/roots. Exploration treehouses and branch climbing nets guide children to climb and crawl—while ecological signage integrates mangrove growth habits and ecological value into play, enabling learning through play.

Migratory Bird Installations
Centered on bird migration, multiple interactive pieces include:
• Windmill Bird Sculpture: Placed on a treehouse, its belly holds a windmill that spins with the breeze.
• Music Box Migratory Bird Rocking Horse: Combines a traditional rocking horse with music triggered by moving parts of the bird’s belly.
• Slide Bird Sculpture: Built into a terrain bump, it offers a fun “crawl in → slide out” experience.
Signage around the installations conveys Hengqin’s ecological role as a bird stopover.

Detail Design
Materials—bamboo wood, steel, and retro stainless steel corrosion plates—balance durability with natural industrial aesthetics (e.g., log swings with metal brackets, skate bowl concrete bases).Science popularization uses a dual mode: installation experience + signage. Activity instructions and safety warnings naturally embed ecological knowledge, enhancing the space’s educational value.

Conclusion
Birds Homeward, Fish Afloattakes local ecology as its core. Through scientific planning and artistic design, it creates a landmark yet practical parent-child space for Hengqin Commercial Plaza—and provides a model for integrating ecology and commerce in urban public spaces.Breaking free from traditional children’s facilities’ functional limits, the project uses ecological narrative to activate commercial value:
• It offers all-age play for families, driving foot traffic to the mall.
• It conveys local ecological culture through art, letting children build nature cognition through interaction.
Ultimately, it achieves multi-dimensional symbiosis of ecology, parent-child bonding, and commerce.

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Birds Homeward, Fish Afloat: A Floating Dolphin Playscape at the Commercial Plaza

Zhuhai, China

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Birds Homeward, Fish Afloat: A Floating Dolphin Playscape at the Commercial Plaza

Zhuhai, China

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