London-based world renowned practice Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has won a competition to design a masterplan within the Qianhai area of Shenzhen, China, which will feature an "elevated sky garden" raised 1.2km from the ground. 

The new masterplan is proposed in an area of reclaimed land, and it will feature a sky garden with a plenty of vegetation – elevated above the roads to facilitate easy access above ground between adjacent plots.

"The large city-scale of the sky garden creates both a heart and a new horizon against which people can orientate themselves within this new emerging centre," said the studio.

The project will link directly to a number of public transport hubs, with the garden allowing the public to flow through the city at various speeds, from the fast pace of the underground, to the medium pace of the street, through to the slow pace of the sky garden.

"Qianhai is an exciting and dynamic emerging urban centre. Having the opportunity to create this bold and confident intervention will focus the city’s attempt to create a rich and diverse, culturally led public realm," said Senior Partner Richard Rogers.

"This in itself will become the key element in how the city will naturally grow and develop over the coming years."

The sky garden will be enriched with cultural activities, and will form a natural focus for all-year-round activities, terminating in a major public space at the water’s edge that will be known as "Performance Park." This area will contain an Opera House and Conventions Centre and will directly link the city back to Qianhai Bay.

To the east, the city edge is crowned with a tower, forming a distinctive landmark within the urban landscape.

"The creation of a people-friendly series of dynamic routes weaving their way through urban city blocks will offer a memorable, unique and relevant experience, clearly marking the ambitions of this thriving city," said Associate Partner and lead architect Stephen Spence.

"The scheme is one of strong integrity. Simple yet magnificent in its strong symbolism, it is perfectly suited to the vision of the Qianhai area, whilst furthermore enforcing its central axis," said Urban Living Room Selection Panel.

All images courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

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