Tall & Urban News

CallisonRTKL has won an international design competition for the 7 Bao Station district, a transit-oriented development serving Hangzhou’s new central business district.

In Hangzhou—the birthplace of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group—an economic boom in the high-tech and software industries has fired up the economy and encouraged unprecedented development. To keep pace with current growth and responsibly accommodate future demand, CallisonRTKL created a transit-oriented master plan for 7 Bao, one of two subway stations being developed along a proposed nine-station line in the River Bay region.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to lead the design for this forward-looking project,” said Yung-Jen Tai, Vice President in CallisonRTKL’s Dallas office. “Our proposal considered important future developments in transit and communication to establish a foundation for a diverse, thriving community, signaling Hangzhou’s progress toward becoming a first-tier, international city.”

The 7 Bao Station is intended to serve as a forward-looking community center. Ultra-integrated systems at the heart of the master plan ensure efficient navigation, a range of all-weather transit options—including subway, taxi, bus, monorail and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircrafts—and pedestrian-friendly pathways. Meanwhile, sky bridges, sunken plazas and concourses provide easily navigable connections between the site’s riverside retail and waterfront residential street.

“Instead of focusing on transit alone, we recognized and pursued the potential for the site to serve as a foundation for the city’s growing enterprises,” said Richard Huang, Senior Associate Vice President in CallisonRTKL’s Dallas office. “Ultimately, the design vision sets a new benchmark for urban lifestyle development that ups the ante on convenience, sustainability, efficiency and quality of life.”

Most importantly, CallisonRTKL’s master plan for the 7 Bao Station supports Hangzhou’s ambition to become a globally connected city and a prominent leader in international business, information exchange, culture and technology.

For more on this story, go to the CallisonRTKL site.