Nanjing Hexi Park Competition

Nanjing, China

Nanjing Hexi Park Competition

As part of their ambitious urban re-development plans, OCT Land had aspirations to transform a 2km stretch of the Qin Huai River waterfront into a world-class cultural and family-orientated destination that would provide an enduring legacy for the region and its people. Gillespies was a finalist in this closed international landscape competition.

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The riverfront Nanjing Hexi Park will form the missing link in a series of open spaces and recreational areas that span the length of this major shipping route.

Gillespies’ shortlisted competition entry creates a dynamic landscape that intertwines nature and ecology, art and culture and social and entertainment. Our landscape-led concept seeks to use major landform, imaginative play features, water bodies and immersion in nature to attract visitors from across the world to the area, with unprecedented views across the river.

The park is split into a sequence of exquisite spaces that invite visitors on a journey of discovery, from informal entertainment spaces to more natural and ecological spaces. These include a central plateau with sculptural landforms and a large amphitheatre for events, a whirlpool play garden with ultra-modern sheltered structures that ensure the park can be used in all weathers; a cherry tree-lined river promenade with access to an urban beach; a biodiverse ecological parkland beside the river; and two gardens providing quieter spaces for escape and relaxation.