With the Xingchuang International Center, Aedas architects take what could have been a busy city district and instead create a beautiful green space ‘brimming with openness and connectivity’
June 18th, 2020
Located in the heart of the Xihongmen business district along Beijing’s South Fifth Road the Xinchuang International Center by Aedas architects combines Grade-A office spaces, hotels and upscale retail. With ample greenery to cultivate a feeling of serenity and openness it is a carefully designed district. Expected to be finally complete in 2023, the first phase is already finished as of last year.
An urban park borders the south boundary of the site while the north encounters the entrance to a retail and commercial centre. The western plot of the project is designated for commercial offices while the eastern plot is occupied by retail, office space and a five-star hotel. The challenge for Aedas was ensuring that the overall design was unified and harmonious with these substantial differences in urban texture.
West and East share a consistent architectural language and, when the project is complete, will be connected by aerial bridges that will allow visitors to commute easily. Adopting a people-centric design approach, The development integrates public and functional spaces through the use of uniquely scaled blocks. By sensibly placing the scaled blocks, the design reduces any sense of oppression and reduces blockage of natural light by the larger building blocks while creating open greenery to generate an ambience to the entire development.
The building outline adopts a geometrically linear form, tracking a north-south directional line to optimize natural light intake. The strong directional lines gradually transforms into a sloping form along the south boundary conjuring images of the natural erosion of stones in a riverbed. As the edges of the development smooth out to embrace the southerly urban park, the boundaries between inside and outside are blurred to create a peaceful atmosphere.
A part of the city that could have easily sprung up as another busy city district. Instead, Aedas have and will continue to create a tranquil, beautiful and more sustainable space. One we look forward to seeing completed.
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest is officially open. And the long-running competition offers Australian architects, designers and builders the chance to gain global recognition for the most technically resolved, performance-led kitchen projects.
Schneider Electric’s new range are making bulky outlets a thing of the past with the new UNICA X collection.
It’s widely accepted that nature – the original, most accomplished design blueprint – cannot be improved upon. But the exclusive Crypton Leather range proves that it can undoubtedly be enhanced, augmented and extended, signalling a new era of limitless organic materiality.
CapitaMall Skyview is a new shopping centre in Chongqing, China designed by CLOU architects and offering a layered interior that mirrors the city’s distinctive urban landscape.
Mountain Soil reimagines retail as an immersive, context-driven experience.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
DKO’s Koos de Keijzer and Michael Drescher bring us this personal report from Salone del Mobile 2025 in Milan.
The Altro Neurodiversity Forum 2025 gathered leading architects, designers, thought-leaders and advocates in March at the Manly Pacific Hotel in Sydney.