As the main venue for the 2024 Chengdu World Horticultural Expo, the design team approached the project from both planning and landscape design perspectives. They adhered to the site’s original natural topography while creating an urban public space that embodies Chinese environmental aesthetics and the cultural essence of Sichuan.
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2024 Chengdu World Horticultural Expo: Master Planning and Landscape Design
Public Landscape Design (Built)
Firm
T. Y. Lin International Engineering Consulting (China) Co., Ltd.
Architect/Designer
HUANG Cong
Design Team
HUANG Cong, Rashwan Khalil, PU Weiran, YANG Jiawen, LU Shengzhong, BAI Hongmao, NIE Chuanran, LIU Yang, HE Hongmei, LIU Jingyu, LENG Miao, TANG Jie, ZHANG Jing, LUO Fangqing, LIU Yuqiao, WANG Yueyuan, HUA Ying, XIONG Yaling, WANG Xuanchen, XIAHONG Yilan, LI Fuxing, Mei Mei Isobel Williamson
Location
Eastern New District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China
Country
China
Photographer/Copyright
©RIYE photography
Additionally, the design strategically accommodates domestic and international exchanges, cultural tourism consumption, urban service amenities, and industry development. Acting as a catalyst for urban events and driven by public landscapes, the design injects new energy and vitality into the city’s green development.
This project faces the complex challenge of preserving the area’s natural features amid its intricate topography and meeting the demands of a major exposition. These demands include effective spatial planning, traffic management, exhibition organization, and event operations. Furthermore, the project must tackle the issue of sustainable utilization after the event, aligning with green, low-carbon, sustainable, open, and shared event management principles. Addressing these challenges is at the forefront of the project’s objectives.
As a result, the design starts with five strategies:
- End-to-End Sustainability
Unlike venues built solely for temporary exhibitions, the master plan was developed from the start with a vision for post-event use, focusing on the cultivation and research of flower and plant seedlings, supported by educational programs, recreational tourism, and community services.
- Landscape Ecology and Nature Preservation
The project prioritizes ecological and cultural harmony, inspired by ancient principles advocating for natural integration with the environment.
- Modern Layout with Chinese Garden Narrative
The landscape design employs traditional gardening techniques to shape main pathways that gracefully wind through the extensive landscape, seamlessly integrating with the natural terrain.
- Low Carbon Footprint and Energy Efficiency
To ensure sustainability beyond the exhibition, the design integrates sunlight simulation to judiciously select deciduous species to provide shade, shelter, and cooling, thereby promoting a low-carbon lifestyle while beautifying the park across all seasons.
- Sichuan Characteristic Floriculture
The selection and display of floral plants are centered around native Chengdu species, not only educating visitors on the diverse carbon sequestration capabilities of these plants but also highlighting their diversity and adaptability to different environments. Moving beyond its initial emphasis on achieving international-level horticultural production and refining gardening techniques, the 2024 Chengdu Horticultural Expo has embraced a design strategy that seamlessly integrates both temporary and sustainable elements. This approach effectively tackles the challenge of re-purposing large exhibition spaces after events conclude.