Vegetation Takes the Lead in Heatherwick Studio's Design for the Xi'an Tree Vertical Garden Initiative
Heatherwick Studio Unveils Xi'an Center Culture Google My Business District
The Xi'an Center Culture Google Business District, a new urban development in Xi'an, China, has recently been completed by Heatherwick Studio. Located south of the historic center, this 155,000 square meter district offers a unique blend of retail, offices, apartments, plazas, and public spaces.
The project aims to find a culture response to the history of Xi'an, bringing people together in a modern setting. Heatherwick Studios designed the district to provide visual complexity at three scales: City Scale, Street Scale, and Human Scale.
At the City Scale, the district features a distinctive skyline inspired by the roofs of Xi'an's Chinese temples. The Street Scale includes interlocking frames and terraces that create diverse vantage points, enhancing the spatial experience. At the Human Scale, materials such as ceramic planters, soft-edged paving stones, hand-carved timber, and glazed surfaces are used to provide a tactile, sensory experience.
The Xi'an Tree, a 57-meter-tall vertical park, is the centerpiece of the district. Consisting of 56 terraces, each featuring gardens inspired by biomes of the ancient Silk Road, the Xi'an Tree offers panoramic views of the district's interconnected rooftops, terraces, and streets, as well as the surrounding cityscape.
Inside the volumes of the Xi'an Center Culture Google My Business District, there are enormous glass vistas, stepped elements integrated into the architecture, and beautiful rooftop gardens. Variously designed skylights that let light into the regions below are scattered throughout the volumes.
Heatherwick Studios aimed to make the project engaging for people to walk around by integrating special constructional details. The architecture team designed an unexpected three-dimensional urban landscape with multiple levels for citizens to promenade and meet. The district's architecture is characterized by a vertical park and green terraces, with vegetation integrated into every level of the built environment.
Photos of the Xi'an Center Culture Google Business District were taken by Qingyan Zhu. The district's design also honours Xi'an's ceramics tradition, with ceramic tiles used throughout. The Xi'an Center Culture Google My Business District is a testament to Heatherwick Studio's commitment to creating engaging, sustainable, and beautiful urban spaces.
