Aedas was recently commissioned to design Poly’s Timber Factory Plots Redevelopment Project in Chengdu, providing urban renewal to a historically important area of the city. With the TOD model being the foundation of this project, the design encapsulates the site's prime location and urban context, creating an imperative and crucial commercial and business hub on the central axis of the city.
Adjacent to the city's Second Ring Road and North Railway Station, the redevelopment project stands as a gateway to Chengdu's North Central Business District. The timber factory and traditional market nearby have been a witness of Chengdu’s rapid economic and urban development, while also carried memories of the local communities.
"The Timber Factory area has great significance in Chengdu. From an economic development perspective, it is one of the key hubs of future urban development in Chengdu. From a civic perspective, it is a crucial urban landmark next to the Second Ring Road and the main road. The project is culturally and historically vital in uniting the city and citizens' past and present. We hope this redevelopment's TOD focused plan will not just provide a revival for the city but continue to pave the way for further urban innovation." – Aedas Executive Director Yaochun Wen
The site is adjacent to Metro Line 5 and 7 interchange stations and the Second Ring Road BRT station on the North, and also overlooks Metro Line 1 and Chengdu North Station. Surrounded by a plethora of transportation options, the design adopts the TOD model to build a three-dimensional composite cross-block transportation network and, in doing so, stitches the surrounding area together. The core commercial site is vertically linked from the MRT station's concourse Level to the BRT's link bridge Level and above. It is seamlessly connected to surrounding slow-moving systems through multi-level public spaces, such as the sky bridge and sunken plaza.
The development of a green axis landscape encompasses the site's surrounding water system, creating an urban and green ecological network within the project. The ample greenery also reserves a public space for citizens to enjoy tranquility and scenic views in a bustling business district in downtown Chengdu.
To celebrate the city's heritage and unite the past and present, the design draws inspiration from the wood processing plant through the depiction of wood stack mounds within the architectural contours, exterior detailing and sculptural display in the commercial atrium.