Longfor University Town

Longfor U City Tianjie in the University Town area of Chongqing's Western New Town is a mixed-use commercial, entertainment, and residential complex developed by Chongqing Longfor Real Estate. It is bounded by the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute to the east, Longfor's Tinglanwan low-rise residential project to the west, and nearby Chongqing University, Chongqing Normal University, and Chongqing Medical University. The commercial core comprises one Longfor-owned retail building and two retail-sold buildings, plus three LOFT mixed-use towers and podium retail, connected by seven commercial corridors into a flowing street district. The landscape area covers 35,536 square meters, including a 5,800-square-meter rooftop garden. At the heart of the complex lies the dry-fountain plaza, an urban nucleus formed where east-west and north-south pedestrian flows converge. Its paving uses a parametric design of concentric circles radiating outward in decreasing square modules, expressing the outgoing yet refined character of young people, while posing real challenges for stone fabrication and fountain hydraulics. Mist sprays are a particular draw for children, who can run through them even in winter without getting soaked. Youthful landscape benches around the plaza have sloped backs that double as climbing surfaces, with half-hidden slogans engraved on them. The east entrance water feature was a design challenge because it sits at an angle between a fire lane and the Longfor-owned retail entrance, directly above the basement roof; the design uses successive planes to carve away the elevation and keep circulation flowing. A pool bottom with carefully modeled bumps makes the water lively, while Corten-steel walls in rust-red are perforated with letters that glow white by day and like a starfield by night. The south plaza, adjacent to the art academy, is reserved for large commercial events and public exhibitions, using zigzag green patches and irregular benches to hold the site boundary while leaving a large open void for future uses. The rooftop garden is themed colorful, with zones for elderly residents, young adults, and children linked by a 300-meter rainbow running track. The residential entry forecourt connects to a lawn, seating, and fitness equipment for older residents; adult areas combine lounge space with badminton and table tennis courts in colorful rubber surfacing; and the children's areas are differentiated by age group, with target elements, patterned paths, small slides, rocking chairs, plus caregiver seating, baby-changing tables, handwashing stations, and stroller parking. Designed from 2014 and opened in September 2017, the three-year process produced a youthful, energetic, and artistically charged commercial landscape.