Recently, Longquan "City Balcony" Architecture and Landscape Design Emerging Young Designers Invitational Competition was successfully concluded in Longquan City. 73 teams competed fiercely for 4 months, and 5 teams were finally selected as finalists. The Consortium of Office Moments (Initiating Unit) and ZDG Zhongdu International Design won the second place in the competition.

Project Background

Longquan is located in Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, which is a national historical and cultural city with green mountains and blue water and rich natural heritage. The city retains the traditional street texture, pleasant walking experience, relying on the beautiful natural pattern to open the urban framework, in the construction of the continuation of the old city of pleasant sense of scale, everywhere highlighting the Taoist nature of the charm of the landscape.

The project site is located on the south bank of Longquan River, a waterfront space of about 1 kilometer long between Liuche Bridge and Jianchuan Bridge. Facing the ancient city of Longquan and backed by the future community, it represents the "future time" of Longquan. Therefore, we decided to create an urban balcony with the theme of youth, which is culturally confident, ecologically low-carbon and water-friendly.

Young Vitality Waterfront

After a site survey, we found that the current embankment has a level difference of nearly 3m, the continuous retaining wall blocks the urban fabric from connecting with Longquan Creek, there is a lack of water-friendly space along the line, and the vitality of the waterfront needs to be improved. Therefore, remodeling the embankment is imperative.

Around the theme of rejuvenation, we have created three thematic zones along the 1-kilometer-long shoreline: [Waterfront Vitality Zone], [Cultural Sharing Zone], and [Eco-Sponge Zone].

Sports Balcony

In the Waterfront Vitality Zone, a floating "Sports Balcony" provides dock space for dragon boat races, kayaking and other sports, allowing urban life to occur naturally along the waterfront. In the ecological sponge area, a "Landscape Balcony" looks out over Crouch Island, with floating islands and trestles designed to respond to the topography and the history of Longquan's landscape, and to bring people closer to nature.

The Cultural Sharing Area is oriented towards the future community, with the "Community Balcony" providing valuable public space for nearby residents; the "Pet Balcony" serves as a pet park, allowing pets to roam the riverbanks safely and freely; and the "Festival Balcony" serves as a plaza space. The "Balcony for Pets" serves as a plaza space for larger crowds during festivals; the "Tides Balcony" responds to the changing water levels of Longquan Creek throughout the seasons and breathes naturally as the seasons change.

Landscape Balcony

Community Balcony

The different "balcony clusters" are located at three different elevations: 3.0m, 2.0m and 0.5m. Considering the accessibility needs of the city, we have adopted the design of ramps to connect the different elevations of the "balcony clusters" and control them through the diagonal axial network.

By pushing, pulling and lifting, the walkway system and the waterfront platform are staggered, increasing the viewing surface of the waterfront, and together they form the waterfront scenery of Longquan River.

Floating Celadon

In the center of the cultural commons is the cultural architectural landmark we designed for Longquan. Four balconies cluster around the base of the building, and the slightly undulating shoreline in the middle of the site holds up a blue and blue treasure box reflecting the sky, so that the vision of the young people who visit the balconies is not only left with the heaviness of a thousand-year-old city, but also with lightness. The base provides public service facilities such as restaurants and restrooms, and a pleasantly scaled ramp leads the flow of people from the city naturally to the main building on the second floor, where people can linger over the scenery or climb up to the panoramic balcony on the rooftop to experience the thickness and lightness of the millennium old city.

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Architecture Body 

Bird View 

Inspired by Longquan celadon, the skin of the main body of the building consists of transparent glass skins in different shades of color, which attracts the flow of people in the future community and at the same time conveys the ancient aura of Longquan celadon. The huge volume seems to be suspended above the plinth, changing its atmosphere and expression with the daylight and weather.

View from the other Side of the River

at Sunrise

Refraction of Architecture Skin in Different Weather

The slightly undulating shoreline in the middle of the site holds up a blue and blue box reflecting the sky, symbolizing the heaviness and lightness of Longquan city. We hope that this kilometer-long urban balcony will be permanently integrated into the local life of Longquan, providing creativity and curiosity to this thousand-year-old city.