The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has revealed plans for a massive new development in Bhutan. Named Gelephu Mindfulness City, it will be centered around eye-catching bridges that function as both crossings and important buildings.
Gelephu Mindfulness City is being created in collaboration with engineering giant Arup and urban development consultancy firm Cistri. It will occupy a lush site measuring over 1,000 sq km (386 sq miles) and feature 35 rivers and streams. This topography has informed the masterplan, which will be centered around the multipurpose bridges. These, in turn, will host an airport, a healthcare center, and more, as explained by BIG.
"Each of the bridges house key destinations within the city: the new airport, a Vajrayana spiritual center which allows glimpses into the daily practices of the monks and masters of mindfulness; a healthcare center as a meeting between Eastern and Western medicine; a university that exposes its academic activities; a hydroponic and aquaponic greenhouse putting ancient farming practices and modern agro-science on display for the daily commuters; a cultural center to immerse and educate visitors about Bhutanese culture and customs; and a market adorned with Bhutanese textiles.
"The final bridge, a hydroelectric dam, will be constructed on the city's western border with a step-well retaining wall that offers viewpoints, staircases for meditative walks, and a temple. Visitors and pilgrims can ascend and descend along countless individual routes to the visitor center and temple nested on the face of the manmade cliff. The Sankosh Temple-Dam embodies in architectural form all the foundational elements of Gelephu: the harmonious coexistence of culture and nature, conceived as a hybrid child of Bhutan's rich past heritage and its prosperous future legacy."
Local craftsmen will be used, as will local and natural materials such as wood, stone, and bamboo. Gelephu Mindfulness City will also reference traditional architectural styles. Additionally, sustainability will be a major theme, reflecting Bhutan's status as a proudly carbon-negative country. However, other than the hydroelectric dam, we've little information on that at this early stage and expect to hear more as it continues to progress. Likewise, there's no word on an expected completion date, though the project was recently formally announced by Bhutan's king.
Gelephu Mindfulness City is the latest in a trend of, well, big projects by the influential Danish studio and follows its Qiddiya giga-project in Saudi Arabia and the floating Oceanix City.
Source: BIG
