Dutch architect KCAP has won a design competition for the 95km Yantai Economic and Technological Development Zone in Shandong Province, south of Beijing.
The urban district will cover 27 sq km of coastal land. KCAP’s design focuses on 1 sq km of this, which will hold three clusters: the Talent Port, the Tidal Community and the Lagoon Community.
The Talent Port is built along a central axis connecting the rail station and the harbour, and will have landscaped public spaces and an open-air events area. The Tidal Community’s salt marshes will act as a transitional zone and the Lagoon Community offers desalinated water for swimming and socialising.
One of the main concerns of the development is flood resilience. The zone between the mountains and the coast will be able to absorb water and the urban centre will be a “sponge city”, able to experience with floods without being overwhelmed by them.
Ya-Hsin Chen, KCAP associate partner, said: “In our view, a coastline is never just a simple ‘line’ but a system that encompasses all the elements around it. In the case of Yantai, this means a multidimensional approach was needed that includes the city, mountains and coastal landscape.
“The project explores the possibilities and solutions of coastline development on different scales and themes, advocating a multi-level, sustainable approach.”
Ruurd Gietema, KCAP partner, added: “To ensure that the development of both city and coastline are safe and ecologically founded, we adopted a strategy of shoreline restoration, protection and fortification, and a triple protection strategy – offshore, in the tidal zone and with a coastal dike.”
