This project was for a major financial and mixed-use district located just west of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Often referred to as “China’s Wall Street” (although Shanghai and Hong Kong may argue otherwise), the district includes a substantial concentration of office buildings, housing China’s leading financial institutions and regulatory agencies. 

The project transformed a dilapidated neighborhood into a vibrant financial hub and is a rare example of a single firm designing all the buildings at the center of an entirely new district spanning multiple city blocks. This ensured the planning, architecture, and landscape work together in an integrated way. There are a total of 18 buildings totaling 3.4 mil sqm of space; this includes offices, hotels, a major shopping center, residential apartments, and a public park. Street retail and restaurants are found throughout. Many of the blocks have shared interior courtyards and there is shared parking below ground.