Qinhuai River has important historical and ecological values. It creates a green belt that surrounds the city. Where Qinhuai meets Yangtze River the new city extension, Hexi will be build. The area of 94 km2 will accommodate mix use development interlaced with a green network. Qinhuai River Park is 3 km long and 100 meters wide. Qinhuai River Park is designed as an extension of the new city in a form of its balcony with a view towards the river. Therefore it has strong relations with neighboring areas visible in a network of paths, functional layout and program location. The park is cut by the system of footpaths and squares, with one ongoing bicycle path and a boulevard on the riverside. The park extensions towards the city are marked by triangular islands where trees are planted randomly. Between them canopies in a form of curved steel sheets fixed on conical masts create symbolical gates to the park. Additional paths planted with Ginkgo trees, connect adjacent streets directly with a riverside boulevard. They end with corten steel platforms perforated with gingko leaves’ pattern. Along the paths regularly planted rows of trees break random arrangement of trees in the other parts of the park. The park has quiet and intimate zones with a number of special gardens as well as bigger squares with public functions clustered in buildings. A pergola garden is made of a long steel structure overgrown by white wisteria. Its inner form and distance between elements change in a playful way. The sport path connects fields with playgrounds and exercise equipment. It has a distinguished zig-zag form and a red-green color of the rubber pavement. A butterfly garden charms with abundance of ornamental flowers luring butterflies. A continuous wooden bench is placed on one side of the path that meanders through the garden. The rose gardens have planters made in a shape of the Chinese broken ice pattern. Every rose garden will host different species of roses within one color palette. A maze garden is composed of organic arrangement of hedges and ornamental grasses. Hedges should be pruned in a form of waves in different heights.
location: Nanjing, China
year of design: 2012
client: Niek Roozen bv, NITA Nanjing
in collaboration with: Niek Roozen bv