The project is located in the Xiasha Metro central core area and is associated with the Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone (HEDA). The purpose of this project is to create a beautiful and vibrant urban environment located around a beautiful man-made lake on the outskirts of Hangzhou. The design concept is largely inspired by the “mobius” concept. A Modius Strip is defined as “a continuous one-sided surface formed by twisting one end of a rectangular strip through 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis of the strip and attaching to the other end.” The infinite interconnectivity of the program elements via pedestrian circulation spine affords and exciting integrated development that start low, ascends and lifts to provide green public view corridors, and links the site with key anchor program elements including the rooftop nightclub on parcel F2 and terminating in the 100 meter tall “Infinity Office Tower” on parcel F1.
The design embraces it’s location immediately adjacent to lakefront and present in the CBD urban core of Sands Lake. The design maximizes business addresses for office and hotel while maximizing lakefront connectivity and views from both program spaces, podium terraces, and civic nodes throughout the development. Green view corridors are key to the urban design framework and include the lifting of the office building with multi-height lobby, the event atrium and winter garden on parcel F1, the multi-height hotel through-lobby, the large pedestrian gateway developed between parcels F1 and F2, the internal court of the office complex of parcel 2 and the cantilevered east façade massing of the office complex. The massing takes on a soft natural form to seek harmony with the lakefront environment and embrace the regional qualities of Hangzhou.