The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has revealed the winners of the 2022 National Landscape Architecture Awards, and our Central Green Forest Park project in Beijing is one of them. The Park is among 40 projects recognised across the program’s 17 categories.
The Central Green Forest Park, which Hassell designed in collaborated with the Landscape Architecture Corporation of China, was recognized in the International projects category. Recently, the project also won an IFLA Award (International Federation of Landscape Architects Awards), which this year was themed and looking for projects that respond to Climate Crisis Design.
The AILA jury said that, “The Beijing Central Green Forest Park is an urban forest habitat achieving 85 percent forest coverage and a self-sustaining stormwater management system on a former industrial site. Described as a ‘designed forest’, the project celebrates the value of time and the heritage of culture and ecological restoration. The core concept draws on the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar, which resonates with everyday users. Remarkably, this rich and diverse landscape was achieved in only three years, delivering great ecological and cultural value for its locality.”
"We are always searching for opportunities to have conversations with nature and design is a way to build on the culture of the land and celebrate it. The Park is a rare opportunity in which we were able to do this through the idea of 'landscape temporality.'"
Sean Lin, Principal, Hassell
As the ‘green lung’ of Tongzhou District, this 11.2-square kilometre site celebrates both the value of time and the heritage of culture. Our aspiration for this project was to promote forest succession and habitat restoration, rebuild cultural identity and transform polluted post-industrial land.
"The Park is also an experimental forest in an urban ecological context. Long-eared owls, Black-winged kites and Common kestrels have been spotted there since the Park opened. We call them indicative birds, which means that the environment has been improved so much that the birds flock there and it's a sign of the health of this eco-system. Our ambitious goal that we set at the start of the project of the co-existence of humans and wildlife is shaping up, and we wanted it to be a place where people would truly enjoy spending time. I believe, we’re just at the start of the process, and the longer we go in time and the more the Park thrives, the more value it will bring to the city,” Sean said.
Stay tuned for an in-depth project story and insight from the design team.
Photographer: Xi Rao
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