Xi’an CCBD; 3D Urban Landscape
A new district designed by Heatherwick studio has opened in Xi'an, honouring the Chinese city's legacy of craftmanship and ceramics. The Xi'an Centre Culture Business District (CCBD) is located south of the city's historic centre between the ruins of the Temple of Heaven and the prominent Shaanxi TV tower. The district blends a retail podium with walkable streets, terraces and open plazas, offices, apartments, accommodation, green spaces, and a vertical park. Xi'an CCBD's public spaces opened to visitors in December 2024.
The district pays homage to the city's tradition of making and its historic connection to ceramics. The design team worked closely with local makers to produce more than 100,000 tiles with a unique glaze. Following over 2,000 experiments, including constructing 1:1 mock ups of the columns, the resulting facade brings interest and intricacy to the exterior of the buildings and invites visitors not just to look at but also touch the tiles.
The outdoor streets of the district converge at the central plaza where the Xi'an Tree, a vertical park, creates a natural gathering point. Visitors can ascend its 56 elevated 'petals', or terraces where a sequence of cascading gardens follows the biomes of the ancient Silk Route. Standing over 57 meters high from the basement level the Tree offers views across the development with its varying levels of roofs, terraces and streets, as well as the city beyond.
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