The ‘Kunming Dianchi International City Wetland Park Project’ aims to become a nationwide benchmark for developing wetland areas. The concept is to turn a wetland area into a sustainable mixed-use development combining 1) an ecological wetland park with 2) an urban leisure destination and 3) a residential area. Based on the existing topography, green structure, hydrological situation and the field structure of the site, the master plan integrates these three elements and creates an archipelago to be surrounded by a park. Swissité – high quality, well-networked public spaces, a fine-grained mix of uses and daring contrasts in building styles – is the guiding principle for the design. Accordingly, the residential area is conceived as a series of differentiated islands and the urban leisure destination as an eclectic mix of ‘Swiss urban moments’.

Client

LEP Consultants AG, Zurich, Junfa Development PTE Ltd, Kunming

Role

master planner and urban designer

Scope

concept and master plan for a 240 ha wetland area

Time

concept 2009

Team

helsinkizurich (project leader Mirjam Niemeyer), Maxmakers (Zurich), Christian Salewski, James Melsom and Roman Seiler