Shaoxing is located in the Yangtze River Delta economic area. To the north of it is Shanghai, and to the west of it is Hangzhou. PaoJiang District is located in north ShaoXing and will become the new center of Paojiang. Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People’s Republic of China. The city is famous for its water, bridges, wine and calligraphy. In addition, it is also the origin of Chinese Civilization. Cai Yuan Pei, Lu Xun, Zhou En Lai are notable names in Chinese history, all originally from Shaoxing.
This Design was developed in collaboration with Green Design Union, Carol Johnson Landscape Architects, Harada Landscape Architects and Prof Zhou. The project is both a Master Plan and Landscape Plan for an area of approximately 4 Square Kilometers. The architectural and built program includes 360,000 Sq. Meters.
The overall concept is based on five elements that play an important part in Chinese Culture and Literature. They are Gold, Fire, Wood, Earth and Water. Our concept was to develop a series of parks strung along the lake like a jeweled necklace. Each of these “jewels” would be based thematically on one of the Chinese Elements. The associated programs, uses, amenities, materials and forms / spaces would be tied to these elements. Each zone associated with each element would have a prominent landmark or icon, visible from one or more of the other zones. This is intended to encourage visitors to explore neighboring zones.
The overall design of the parks along the Lake is intended to not only activate the park, making good use of this natural resource, but to create an attractive environment for future development in and around the Lake District. The landscape plan serves as an armature for future development, and not an afterthought.