HUAFA NEW TOWN, CHINA

Completed | Landscape 

China | 2011 

BRIEF

For Rui, the opportunity to intern with Zhuhai Huafa Architectural Consulting and HOK in Hong Kong became a defining chapter in his early professional journey. Working alongside internationally renowned and highly accomplished firms such as DeSimone and iLAB Singapore, he found himself immersed in the collaborative energy of an award-winning project that demanded both creativity and precision. 

At the heart of this experience was Huafa New Town—a dynamic urban destination designed to bring together sightseeing, shopping, leisure, entertainment, and dining into a seamless public experience. The scale and ambition of the project were striking, from the 4,000-square-metre water curtain film screen to the expansive musical fountain cluster, and the dramatic 340-metre Giant Sky Dome that anchors the development. 

Within this setting, Rui contributed as part of the landscape design and project presentation team. Through this role, he not only supported the visual and spatial articulation of the project but also gained a deeper understanding of how large-scale developments are shaped through interdisciplinary collaboration. The experience left him with both practical skills and a lasting appreciation for the complexity and impact of thoughtful design. 

Size: 3 million sq. ft. / 280,000 sq. m.

Cost: 2 billion yuan ($293 million)

Architects: HOK, Hong Kong, Zhuhai Huafa Architectural Design Consulting, Co.

Awards: ENR Global Best Projects – Retail and Mixed-Use Developments Award of Merit

"This retail and residential development serves as an important hub for Huafa Group’s landmark Huafa New Town community in the south China city of Zhuhai. Situated along a major transportation interchange, the development provides a central and vibrant live-play environment for this modern, fast-growing metropolis. On the west end of the development, a 645,000-sq.-ft. the shopping mall includes a theatre, supermarket and department store. A 270,000-sq.-ft. health and wellness centre anchors the site’s eastern edge. A large promenade spans the area, weaving together anchor stores, greenery and the waterfront. Two 30-story apartment towers located along the development’s northwest border offer spectacular garden views and connect to shopping and amenities. Retail spaces share fluid massing silhouettes, pedestrian bridges, indoor-outdoor transition spaces and seamless circulation routes. The marquee feature, a 1,115-foot-long street canopy made up of a steel frame and lightweight ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) membrane, hovers 65 feet above the ground. Deriving its fluid, organic form from patterns found in nature, the canopy’s web creates a sculptural and light-capturing focal point while shielding shoppers from the elements" - HOK, Hong Kong

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