Wuhan is an ancient yet diverse city with a rich history and traditional culture. Aedas Global Design Principal Dr. Andy Wen and Executive Director Yijun Qian led the team to win the competition of Wuhan Film Production Studio Plot D and Plot E (Residential and Commercial) Design Scheme in the heart of city. Integrating the Wuhan landscape with cultural characteristics, the design is set to be a cultural-commercial hub filled with historical and functional features.

Located in the centre of Hanjiang district, the project is closely situated to the major roads and metro system, enjoying a convenient accessibility to link with other districts. Connected to the landscape view axis, the Cloud City has a spectecular view overlooking the surrounding landscape and Zhongshan Park to the East.

The overall Cloud City development is a mix of office, residential and commercial. The design promotes the integration of ‘sharing, connectivity and greenery’, to maximise the use of the L-shaped plot and to meet the urban planning requirements. To deliver an efficient commercial experience, the super high-rise tower that consists of office and hotel is placed near the metro entrance. Residences are allocated in the mid-levels, and the porous podium on the lower levels connects with other functions and irrigates the city with vibrancy. With the connectivity to the landscape axis, the skyline merges with the nature and landscape nearby.

Dr. Andy Wen shares, ‘Architecture needs to be multi-dimensional and integrated with features from different eras. Using our professional experience and creativity, we have adopted a micro-urbanism approach to create a timeless and people-centric development.’

The 250m super high-rise tower marks the highest point and urban icon within the district. The tower drew inspiration from the poetic Wuhan and authentic cultural symbol – having cranes flying in the clouds around towers. The slightly curved linear architectural form features a Chinese cornice-like crown on top, and a horizontal metal void in the middle of the façade. Glittering in the night, the crown mimics the energetic crane flying above the golden cloud. The building is cut asymmetrically and creates an interior collaborative space in the middle facing the park. Designed with simplicity and aesthetics, the tower also adopts efficient interior ventilation to ensure a comfortable environment.

The office, headquarters and 5-star hotel are respectively placed in the convenient low, middle and high zones, enjoying the city and landscape view; the headquarters is designed at the serene high zone. The vertical program arranges the communal collaborative space in between the functions, creating interspersed interactive spaces including rooftop garden, sky lobby and wellness amenities. The openness, complemented with various circulations and entrances, creates a new spatial experience to connect live-work and socialising areas.

The podium adopts a L-shape layout, stacked by various blocks and linked by golden fins echoing the motion of Wuhan lake city. The podium includes a multi-dimensional garden, metro sunken plaza, individual flagship blocks and themed plaza. A vibrant shopping experience is created through diverse retail nodes and a multi-dimensional wandering pavement.

The corridor on the podium connects the functions and merges with the urban fabric and the retail street. The underground retail street links the metro and the surrounding developments to the north. The multi-layered circulation ensures a convenient metro and interconnected pedestrian system.

‘Architecture is a powerful medium that resonates with the urban context. The design aims to break the conventional layout of tower and podium, creating a porous and interconnected development which merges with locality.’ Yijun Qian said.

*This is a competition scheme and does not represent the final design.