Henning Larsen Wins Competition for the Pujiang New Town Civic Center

Afterconvening on 30 November 2021, the jury panel of the international competitionco-organized by Pujiang County Planning Bureau and Urban ConstructionInvestment Co., Ltd. has selected Henning Larsen as one of the the winningarchitects er out of the five finalist entries (Zaha Hadid Architects, gmp Architects, MVRDV, Swooding Architects, and Henning Larsen). WithChina s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets in place, Henning Larsenbelieves the Pujiang project owners goal of building a carbon neutral park isa visionary decision that promotes low carbon sustainable design. This projectaims to achieve a holistic sustainability design, using ten planning and designstrategies to meet energy saving and zero carbon goals. This pioneering projecthas defined a new spatial, aesthetic, and perception standards for futurearchitectural development. It seamlessly merges Northern European designsensibilities with sustainability concepts in China, while also making zerocarbon the hallmark of a vibrant Pujiang. HenningLarsen s Design Director and Partner Claude Godefroy said, The PujiangInternational Convention Centre is a unique opportunity to create a vibrantcity center for the county. Its residents need human-scale public spaces, whichincludes pedestrian zones, a lively 24/7 street life, food stalls, arts andcrafts shops, and an array of ever-changing cultural activities. It is part ofChinese culture and Pujiang culture, and the success of this new city dependson such urban initiatives. The PujiangInternational Conference Center sits on the main axis of the Pujiang New Townand has a distinctive circular design, symbolizing perfection and completion. As a circular structure, it saves more building materials than a squarestructure and its non-angular shape is more conducive to natural ventilation. With a sculptural form that also fittingly embodies zero carbon architecture,the conference center will surely become a model zero energy architecture inthe region. Raising theusers awareness and perception of sustainability is also a key aim of thisdesign. The sloping roof of the conference center, which faces the GuangdingLake, is a unique platform that highlights zero carbon living. Here, citizenscan directly experience the benefits of various low carbon, environmentallyfriendly materials and sustainable technologies. The central courtyard is anecological park with elements of scientific education, where a waterpurification system and a diverse flora and fauna will be part of itsthree-dimensional landscape. By enveloping the structure with a waterscape, thesite and the Guangding Lake merge together to form a seamless visualexperience. Next to theiconic conference center is a range of small- to medium-sized buildings,designed with the human scale in mind. Porous and pleasant streets reflect the congenial urban fabrics ofChengdu s traditional linpan settlements and form ventilation corridors thateffectively alleviate the urban heat island effect. With wellness being of paramount importance to us, meeting health andwellbeing standards will be pertinent for the next generation of greenbuildings. Thesouthside office block consists of eight low-rise courtyard buildings. They areconnected by a central pedestrian lobby that facilitates foot traffic andprovides an interactive shared space that encourages communication. A holisticsustainable design should also be human-centric, which is why we hope to createa vibrant community space fitting for all occasions. While the conferencecenter serves as the core of this design, it is surrounded by architecturalfeatures that serve a diverse range of functionalities, instilling a vitalityfor the entire site. Located at the southeast corner, the civic center welcomescitizens with its iconic soft curves while offering 24-hour amenities that addmuch convenience to the community. Byincorporating sustainability concepts early on in the architectural designprocess, we can achieve the maximum return with the minimal investment.