Each of Foster + Partners' recent projects has incorporated significant greenery, and this is also the case with its newly revealed Guangming Hub. Slated for the bustling Chinese megacity of Shenzhen, it will include a series of greenery filled towers inspired by traditional Chinese gateways and also incorporate virtual reality and autonomous vehicle technologies.
Guangming Hub will be built around a high-speed rail link connecting Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The development will create multiple new office towers, as well as retail space, landscaped areas, a museum, and three new metro lines. Foster + Partners also mentions AR and VR technology, as well as an intriguing-sounding "network of slow-moving autonomous vehicles," though alas the firm isn't offering any further details on that, nor the height of the towers, at this early stage.
"A large retail podium sits atop the underground metro and intercity link stations, with stepped green terraces that create a link with the surrounding forest, looking onto the central green spine," explains the firm in a press release. "There are a series of office towers, situated at cardinal points across the site. Inspired by the traditional Chinese gateway that marks important entryways, these towers are envisaged as 'gateways' to the hub.
"The openings at the ground level of the tower buildings mark the central access to high-speed rail station. Subways and bridges to neighboring plots create convenient connections for pedestrians, cyclists and autonomous vehicles. A new transport museum is situated on the bridge over the high-speed rail station, connecting the eastern and western halves of the site. Visitors will enjoy futuristic exhibition displays using latest VR, AR and projection mapping technologies against the panoramic view of the high-speed rail station."
The renders show the towers sporting multiple greenery covered terraces and roofs, with low-rise buildings nearby also covered in plants and trees and sporting rooftop terrace areas for office workers to enjoy. Foster + Partners says the scheme will place emphasis on pedestrian safety and will also feature water reuse and recycling systems as part of the city's wider plan for conserving water and preventing flooding.
Shenzhen has experienced incredible growth in the past decade, with the city regularly setting new records for the number of skyscrapers constructed in a year. However, increasing numbers of projects in that part of the world are now incorporating greenery, such as the Vivo HQ by NBBJ and Stefano Boeri's Rehabilitation Center Shenzhen.
Source: Foster + Partners