Home Magazine About Advertise Contact Us Support Us Supporters The National Creative Cluster | Beijing China | Sasaki Associates Since the beginning of the 21st century, Beijing has made huge strides to solidify its position as one of the world’s great cities. It is a city that is modernizing rapidly— skyscrapers are rising out of fallow fields, a new transportation system is extending the reach of the city, and environmental initiatives are improving air and water quality. Fresh ideas are also emerging, while still embracing the rich traditions of the past. Near Songzhuang, a quiet village on the outskirts of Beijing, a unique opportunity exists to create a new urban district dedicated entirely to the cultivation of new ideas. The National Creative Cluster (NCC) is envisioned as the country’s preeminent knowledge hub, making the district a center for China’s innovative home-grown talent, and a destination for the world’s most creative thinkers. Sasaki’s master plan for NCC – selected in May 2012 for implementation – focuses on five structuring principles that underscore and support the overarching philosophy of the district: to bring industries with shared values and complementary skills and technologies together to help spark new ideas.
The National Creative Cluster | Beijing China | SasakiAssociates
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Beijing has made huge strides to solidify itsposition as one of the world’s great cities. It is a city that is modernizing rapidly—skyscrapers are rising out of fallow fields, a new transportation system is extending thereach of the city, and environmental initiatives are improving air and water quality.Fresh ideas are also emerging, while still embracing the rich traditions of the past. NearSongzhuang, a quiet village on the outskirts of Beijing, a unique opportunity exists tocreate a new urban district dedicated entirely to the cultivation of new ideas. TheNational Creative Cluster (NCC) is envisioned as the country’s preeminent knowledgehub, making the district a center for China’s innovative home-grown talent, and adestination for the world’s most creative thinkers. Sasaki’s master plan for NCC –selected in May 2012 for implementation – focuses on five structuring principles thatunderscore and support the overarching philosophy of the district: to bring industrieswith shared values and complementary skills and technologies together to help sparknew ideas.
Acting as an incubator, the success of the district is tied to its openness, where peoplecan interact in both structured and spontaneous ways to exchange ideas and haveconstructive dialogue. To attract a talented workforce, NCC will also provide institutesfor continuing education, museums and galleries for inspiration, entertainment venuesto encourage social interaction, and bold landscapes to help recharge the mind, body,and spirit. The district’s diversity of industry, people, and spatial relationships areaimed to foster creativity and encourage an endless stream of new ideas.
The first principle of Sasaki’s master plan is to integrate the urban form with thesurrounding landscape. This is accomplished by creating a series of green wedges,interspersed within the urban clusters and forming a series of community parks.Second, a new transit loop creates a connection to the existing core of the SongzhaungArtists Village. Recalling the vital connections between trade and ideas, the loopencourages the movement of both people and ideas between the creative hubs at NCCand Songzhuang. Third, the plan creates a series of concentrated hubs organized alongthe loop, forming clusters of activity. Each hub is designed to have a unique identity,forged by a careful mix of programmatic and landscape elements. The landscape is thefocus of the fourth principle of designing a landscape that is both beautiful andfunctional. These landscapes encourage biodiversity, filter stormwater, and provideseasonal interest and color. Finally, the fifth principle ensures that the landscape formsa strong connection between humans and nature. Innovation and creativity at NCC isfueled by the ability to walk on the generous trail system, grow vegetables on a rooftopterrace, or socialize with others in neighborhood parks.
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JOB LISTINGS
Graduate Landscape Architect orLandscape Architect with up to 2years experience | Grant Associates |Singapore
