Stone Road Culture District (2013)

Project Data
 
Site Area:   250.000m2
Total GFA:   500.000m2
Location:   Quanzhou, China
Features:   New Civic Center along retraced historic “Stone Road”
Scope:   Urban Design Master Plan
Status:   Planning
 
 
Project Summary
 
Quanzhou’s most famous feature is, that its port was the ancient starting point of the historic “Maritime Silk Road”. The “Stone Road” is the historic local segment relating to the Silk Road and also referring to the city’s architectural tradition of infrastructure (roads, bridges) and buildings being built from local, distinctly colored and textured natural stones.

Since Quanzhou currently lacks any real attraction and is striving to reestablish itself as “the Alexandria of the East” as Marco Polo once described it, this project develops a new central Culture District along the traces of the old “Stone Road” which have long been buried under new buildings and the current road system.

This newly visible “Stone Road” provides the blueprint for building lines and roadside geometry following the ancient layout as a new pedestrian spine. Adjacent zones are programmed with various urban functions:
 
The Culture Center features an entire pedestrian-only network of commercial and F&B expanding from the historic stone Road and including some of the preserved traditional buildings
The Hospitality Area features boutique hotels, homestays and F&B mixed with some preserved traditional buildings
The Urban Park including an existing temple
The Creative Business District featuring courtyard typology office and studio spaces

Architectural expressions along the stone road are modelled on the traditional materials in a contemporary application.