Sino-Finnish Center

The Sino-Finnish Center is designed to be a representation of an ecologically sustainable way of building cities. The key concept in the design is to think about the ecological impact of the entire life cycle of the development from pre-planning to demolition and recycling.

Our competition entry is clearly divided into two distinctive areas: a high-density, high performance, green-roofed hybrid city block utilizing the best external and internal clean tech solutions available, and a purified, publicly accessible wetland park, which is also a place to demonstrate the results and motivations of investing in clean technology.

The city block is shaped like a 21^st century version of the urban typology that has successfully evolved over time. Taking the qualities of a Finnish perimeter block as its starting point, the proposal develops this typology into a unique shape, a coherent and unified city block, creating an attractive and recognizable addition to the Nanjing Southern New Town.

The block contains a hybrid complex with different functions merged into one definite and interesting shape. The building’s continuous roofline is a beautiful and harmonious way to collect all the functions into a synergic whole. The naturally acclimatized courtyard acts as a shared lobby and meeting space for both visitors and employees. The large, continuous floor plates provide flexibility for possible functional changes and adaptations in the future.

The wetland park acts as a contrast and complement to the urban block. The park is designed to be used as a demonstration area for clean technologies, and contains a network of small pavilions linked together with wooden piers. The park area also plays an important role in managing the rainwater overflow, and negotiating the impact of the large urban block.