A Magical Forest in the Urban Jungle

As the first high-end project of the “City Series” that are planned for Changsha, the City Gather Park is situated in the Xiangjiang New District, a strategic planning area of the Belt and Road master plan. Anchored by the burgeoning development in the areas surrounding the city’s center, the project is located in close proximity to various high-profile amenities such as the Tianxin District Commercial Center and the Yuelu Cultural Center. It is accessible via main arteries Tanzhou Avenue and South Xiaoxiang Road, and lies adjacent to the 7,200-acre Yanghu National Wetland Park, creating an opportunity for a new kind of project encompassing green, ecological, and progressive values. Focusing on the integration of natural ecology and urban life, Dean Design takes the concept of human experience enriched by art, and applies it to the design of all landscape elements in the project by taking the theme of an Urban Forest and applying it to planting arrangements, pathways, outdoor furniture, and sculptures. Drawing on the archetypal imagery of deer in the forest, the languages of contemporary art and landscaping complement one another to create a synthesis of culture and nature for visitors to the park. This unique combination of forest community and activities park creates a memorable urban experience, both tactile and poetic, in a setting close to nature.

Plants and trees, light and shadow, sculpted deer and winding paths are interwoven into a series of vivid scenic tableaux. By designing the plantings to correspond with the pathway’s views as it winds through the park, the designers have re-created the experience of visiting a natural wooded environment. The deer sculptures, as the focal point of the scene, bring a sense of vitality and light-heartedness to those walking through the area.

Along the winding paths, visitors come across lively installations composed of circular forms within the landscape. The designer has explored the structure, rhythm and artistic aspects of geometry to create a strong contrast with the surrounding natural elements. Every time visitors walk here, they will have the opportunity to discover and enjoy new subtleties in this unique environment.

By incorporating the principles and sensibilities of contemporary art into the park’s abundant natural features, a new kind of design language has been created which addresses not only contextual beauty, but the coexistence of art and nature – and how their relationship may be continuously explored beyond a traditional understanding of what constitutes a landscape.

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The playground integrates parent-child interaction, play activities, and opportunities for visitors to socialize, with unique playground elements such as the “deer house” slide, and the colorful ground surface, seesaws, and fitness equipment all providing a tactile connection to the park for the local community. In this way, the park’s concepts of “deer the lake” and “children playing in a forest” are brought life, supporting visiting children’s well-being and sense of wonder.

With city life comes dwelling in concrete buildings and a detachment from nature. In the Changsha City Gather project, the designers aim to allow urbanites to rediscover and explore nature within the city, by promoting an innovative ecological system combined with a poetic, aesthetically refined environment. Dean Design has created a mythic forest within an urban park where art and nature are gracefully intertwined. In addressing the complexity of a city setting, has not only created a natural landscape compatible with urban life, but also a vibrant gathering place for public activities – providing a place of friendly interaction between city workers, the local community, and visitors, opening the way towards new possibilities, ideas, and lifestyles.

ProjectName: Changsha Poly·City Gather

Project Location: Yuelu District, Changsha

Landscape Area: 10,000 square meters

Completion Date: January, 2021

Client: Hunan Poly Real Estate Development Ltd.

Client Team: Zhou Rong, Xin Yongguang

Design Firm: Dean Design

Service Scope: Landscape and IP Design, Landscape

Sculpture, Lighting, Furniture and installation Design and Project Implementation

Photography: Chill Shine www.designwire.cn