Jiaxing, 1 June 2024 – The Oval Partnership is pleased to introduce the Nanhu Place project and announce its third anniversary. Located in Jiaxing in the Zhejiang Province in China, Nanhu Place (Nanhu Tiandi) is a pioneering open-plan project for the city and stands as an amalgamation of natural landscape, architectural heritage and cultural legacy. Developed by China Resources Land and a joint venture with Jiacheng Group, with the assistance of the Oval Partnership in master planning and architecture, Nanhu Place was completed in 2021 and attracted more than 420,000 visitors in just the first two days of its opening, setting the pace in establishing Nanhu Place as Jiaxing’s go-to destination for trailblazing new lifestyle, retail and creative placemaking.
Branded as Jiaxing’s new urban living room, Nanhu Place and the Nanhu Lakefront Enhancement Project are situated at the historic Nanhu Lake. The site, along with the lakeside landscape, covers a total area of 210,000 sqm. Drawing cues from local natural, historical and cultural contexts, the project organically combines these settings in an open-city architectural planning narrative. The design strategically conserved and revitalised a number of historical buildings on the site, such as the Jiaxing Silk Yarn Factory, its warehouse and office building, a kindergarten, and Nanhu Secondary School; seamlessly interweaving them into the overarching framework.
The masterplan includes four major themed clusters: Yuanhu Lanes, Jiaxing Silk Impression, Nanhu Academy and Nanyan Lake New Scenery. The new buildings co-exist in harmony with existing historical structures to showcase the city’s unique local culture, charming Jiangnan landscape, industrial glory, and the waterfront scenery; unfolding an intriguing urban narrative of regional development and reimagined future living.
Endowed with a captivating natural setting, storied architectural heritage and vibrant cultural legacy, the project presented a rich canvas for the team to conceive a bold design concept imbued with a powerful identity. The Oval Partnership worked closely with the client on project visioning and narrative development, adopting the team’s innovative and evidence-based open city methodology and retail operating model to ensure sustainable commercial success.
“For Nanhu Place, we have for the first time integrated the concept of a park into creating the project site. It interacts with urban spatial elements like lakefront greenery, boat docks, urban plazas, pocket spaces and open courtyards to provide a setting for new urban living while maximising the diversification and inclusiveness of metropolitan open spaces.”, says Ronghao Li, Project Director of the Oval Partnership.
