In early June, Hassell and Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects (ALYA) co-hosted a boat tour along the revitalised section of the Hangzhou Grand Canal, followed by an academic forum about waterfront renewal in the city.
Photo: Hinok Cai, Hassell
In 2020, Hassell, in partnership with Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects (ALYA), was announced as the winner of an international competition to reinvigorate Hangzhou’s Grand Canal and create a valuable, ecologically regenerated cultural waterfront for the city’s people that is rich in the historical and cultural context of the city.
At the event, Hassell Principal and the project leader Sean Lin delivered an opening speech about how the once obsolete Grand Canal has grown with the city’s development.
Photo: AN Jianing
"It is such a pleasant experience to be marking World Environment Day with today’s event alongside experts and friends, discussing world-class waterfront urban renewal along the Canal and pavilions. This new chapter blends old memories with new ideas. It’s a great occasion to be able to share the current state of the public waterfront spaces of the Grand Canal projects and discuss the past and future development of the area," said Sean.
The forum that followed the boat tour explored how linear infrastructure can be designed to function as an ecosystem to deliver greater value for people and the environment in a non-linear world. A range of project design partners including Hangzhou Urban Planning Bureau, MVRDV and MAD, and the client Canal Group attended the event and presented at the forum. A range of journalists from various media also attended the event with interest.
Photo: Hinok Cai, Hassell
"Hassell and AYLY have designed a slow traffic system, plazas, waterfront stations, pedestrian bridges and water transportation along the Hangzhou Grand Canal, transforming the waterfront landscape from a production shoreline into a public leisure space. The design also includes future cultural, commercial, and community facilities connected to the hinterland of the new Canal City,” commented Xin Tong, Journalist, China Business Network.
Photo: AN Jianing
Responding to the Grand Canal’s historic significance
The thousand-year-old Grand Canal has played a crucial strategic role in promoting economic development, cultural exchange and social transformation. How design can respond to the historical significance of the Grand Canal, recreating its rich cultural heritage was at the front of mind for our team during the urban renewal process. By translating it into new forms, we aim to present the fluid cultural context of the canal across different sites, helping the city to be reborn through renewal.
Hangzhou Grand Canal - former oil refinery portion | Photo: Hinok Cai, Hassell
The renewal of the waterfront public spaces along the Grand Canal is not just about improving the city's image, attracting tourists and investment, but also about further promoting cultural exchange and co-operation, driving the prosperity of the cultural industry. The renewed public spaces provide residents and visitors with more recreational and leisure facilities, offering a better quality of life. By improving the urban transport network and strengthening the connection between the waterfront and the urban hinterland, the surrounding industries are stimulated to develop, achieving industrial upgrade and spatial integration. During the renewal process, we focused on preserving elements of historical and cultural significance, including those from the existing buildings and landscapes to ensure the continuation of the city's memory. Through design and art, new cultural symbols are created, conveying the city's image and meeting the diverse needs of its people.
Hangzhou Grand Canal - former oil refinery portion | Photo: Hinok Cai, Hassell
After winning the international design competition for the entire Hangzhou Grand Canal project, Hassell continued to deliver the design vision to develop areas including the former oil refinery waterfront, the Hangzhou Steel River eco-waterfront, Blooming waterfront (where the Canal Museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron is currently under construction), Canal Commercial Centre portion and the Power Plant waterfront – which has been completed and is now open to the public. By cleverly incorporating natural vegetation, the site has been revitalised, offering people a waterfront habitat where they can immerse themselves in nature, discover and understand the ecological system.
The renewal of the Hangzhou Grand Canal is ongoing and we look forward to seeing more portions along the waterfront being completed.
CONTACT US
Isabel Tang
Media Relations
T +86 21 5456 3516
E itang@hassellstudio.com
Thomas Xu
Business Development Leader
T +86 21 5456 3525
E TXu@hassellstudio.com
See more Hassell news and events.
