Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban and RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) silver medallist Ole Scheeren will collaborate to design a masterplan for Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project, spearheaded by Adrian Cheng, CEO, New World Development and Founder of K11 Group.

The new masterplan will establish a new art and cultural destination in this historical city with deep cultural heritage. The team applies the concept of design thinking to build a landmark that meets the needs of the new generation. 

To continue the legacy of "100 Creative Powers" that shaped K11 MUSEA in Hong Kong, a global cultural-retail destination, the Group gathers a new troupe of top talents to inject endless creativity and ingenuity into a city coined as ‘Heaven on Earth’. 

Hangzhou is underpinned by innovation, heritage and culture – the Group will strive to create shared value and enhance the city’s local community.

New World Group’s collaboration with Ole Scheeren and Shigeru Ban in the Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project will create a rich juxtaposition for the site, capitalising on their unique styles and design aspirations. 

Shigeru Ban’s fondness to nature, traditional values and innovation has led to numerous successful projects that focus on multicultural preservation and humanitarian philosophy, echoing Adrian Cheng’s vision of "Creating Shared Value".

Shigeru Ban is known for his innovative structures in timber, and the use of paper in architecture. 

Shigeru Ban. Image curtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects

Ban has a reputation of minimising waste and building with humble materials that pushes the boundaries of its possibility, with skilful application and playful imagination. 

Over the past 25 years, Ban has been involved in disaster relief projects throughout the world; from construction of emergency shelters, temporary housing, schools to churches. His dedication to social humanitarian work has led to his achievement of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014.

Ole Scheeren. Image courtesy of Büro Ole Scheeren

Ole Scheeren’s concept of "form follows fiction" strongly resonates with Adrian Cheng’s beliefs in breaking the boundaries and blending tradition with modernity. 

To Scheeren, buildings and design are not mere accumulations of material and functions, but serve as an organic container for stories which can truly reflect people's lives and interactions. 

Scheeren led the designs of the China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters; created Bangkok’sMahanakhon tower; The Interlace in Singapore; the floating Archipelago Cinema and many other works that tell beautiful stories about people.

A benchmark for innovative urban life, a new wave of life for the new generation

Hangzhou is also known as a “shining pearl” of Chinese culture and the “paradise on earth", while Wangjiang New Town, where the project is located, is a magnificent place of rich cultural heritage and strewn with historical buildings such as Haichao Temple and Yan Tai Lou. According to the Hangzhou Government’s plan, Wangjiang New Town will be developed into three industrial areas – with the southern part driven by cultural industries, central part by commercial, international and innovative enterprises and the northern part by financial institutions. 

The project draws inspiration from the Group’s vision of “Creating Shared Value”, bringing together an ensemble of creative disciplines and advocates to create a meaningful destination on this pivotal site in the heart of Hangzhou city.

Adrian Cheng, CEO, New World Development and Founder of K11 Group. Image courtesy of New World Development

With the total GFA of 460,000 square metres, the Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project will firstly introduce its cultural-retail destination K11 Art Mall; a network of office buildings for the next-generation workforce K11 ATELIER; luxury residences K11 ARTUS; Rosewood Hotel and a cultural space for everyone. 

As the Group’s debut project in Hangzhou, the project will seek to enhance the business atmosphere of the city and help uplift Hangzhou's service industry to meet international standards. Its offerings will bolster this new first-tier city in China and cement its reputation as a flagship city for Asia's financial centres, as well as setting a benchmark for innovative urban life and an exemplar project for sustainable development.

"I am thrilled to join hands with Shigeru Ban and Ole Scheeren – the two world-renowned architects with humanitarian and innovative spirit, to inject deep humanistic connotations into the Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project," said Adrian Cheng, CEO of New World Development and Founder of K11 Group.

"We will continue to uphold the concept of ‘Creating Shared Value’, strive to leverage on the brand’s competitive advantages, work with various sectors and all walks of life to enhance the values of the city and local communities, as well as enrich people’s life experience with art and culture." 

"At New World Group, it is of equal importance to develop our business and address the long term social needs. We believe that we can create a win-win situation for the society by maintaining a positive social interaction in an innovative way," he added.

All images courtesy of New World Development & K11 Group.

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