Guangzhou Time Rose Garden/ Jiakun Architects Studio
1.Project Background
To identify sufficient open space for public and cultural activities in residential development areas, Guangzhou Time Rose Garden invited Dutch Architect Rem Koolhaas to design the Time Gallery of the Guangdong Gallery of Fine Arts while in its third-phase of development. They also invited the Jiakun Architects Studio to design the public activity space system and the landscape. The property owners expect the above designs to be well integrated to serve the residents and urban citizens.
2.Prevalent Problems in China’s Residential Developments
1) Residential developments are usually enclosed within land boundaries such as gates, and are separated from the urban street system, like isolated islands in the urban network system.
2)Due to unbalanced social development, polarization between the poor and rich, and severe security problems, the residential developments not only enclose themselves with walls and gates, but also are guarded by security people like those at military institutions.
3)Residents are still in need of a public activity space for cultural activities. Residents and developers/property management firms are in heated struggle for the rights to use this public activity space.
4)At the time of apartment sales and marketing, the landscape system seemed to work well. But, after apartments were sold, the property management firms discarded plans for the above facilities for fear of high costs.
3. The Design of Public Activity Spaces
Jiakun Architects Studio proposes a special countermeasure to establish a new relationship between China’s current enclosed residential system and its public urban space. They plan an aerial pedestrian bridge across the whole third-phase enclosure project, connnecting A) the Time Gallery of Fine Arts to be designed by Rem Koolhaas, B) a public activity center at the site of the previous sales center, to be designed by Jiakun Architects Studio, and C) a new exhibition hall looking across the wall of the third-phase enclosure. This aerial pedestrian bridge will replace the usual practice of a public trail enclosing the residential development. Therefore, the three points(A,B,C) will be joined to form a complete public space system across the residentail project. Under current Chinese conditions residential development is generally controlled by private management, urban citizens’ activities are limited by the route of the pedestrian bridge that links A, B and C galleries, while residents are able to obtain free VIP cards at the time when they purchase their home, they are therefore allowed to enter this system upon showing this card.
The aerial bridge leading to the residential garden is collectively owned by the residents and offers urban citizens a scenic nature site with public parks. The artist Xu Bing designed an audio-device for the aerial bridge, which uses pedestrian voices as a source of sound in order to interact with space.
4. Features of Landscape Design
1)An environmentally friendly water-saving landscape
The pond collects clean rainwater runoff from terraces helping to reduce the water costs. It also ensures the performance of water landscape.
2)Landscape infrastructure
The wastewater disposal station is composed of platforms, groundwork, steps, slopes, pipes, bunkers, various soil layers and presents a labyrinth of dense groves. The infrastructure components demonstrate a site with diversified forms, revealing cognitive details that are often neglected.
3)Flower gardens and landscaping
There are several small flower gardens where property owners may cultivate their plants and pursue other similar horticulture activities. The garden spaces may also be used for interpersonal exchanges.
4) Hard land open space
There is a red concrete entertainment stage overloking the northward terrains, it is suitable for an audience. It is noted that developers often neglect this type of public gathering site.










Popularity: 9% [?]










Leave your response!