24 Aug 2018
Benthem Crouwel and Powerhouse release 'Sponge City' concept for 2022 Asian Games
BY Luke Cloherty
Buildings whose red facades represent 'phoenix bloodstones' could feature at the athletes' village for the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, as part of a scheme by Benthem Crouwel Architects and Powerhouse Company.
Phoenix bloodstones are a type of precious gemstone local to the region.
The village would be built on land recently reclaimed from the sea and has been dubbed ‘Sponge City’, because of a vast rainwater collection and storage system designed to run through the development.
Daniel Jongtien, partner at Benthem Crouwel, explains how stone and water came to define the design, saying: "The power of water, and its capacity to polish rough stones to shiny gems, became a leading theme. In our work, we aim to combine rational considerations with a strong storyline that resonates well within the Chinese context."
The designers created the concept in collaboration with landscape architects SMARTLAND and Chinese firm UAD.
A youth activity centre would provide a creative space for the city’s younger generations, while a library, museum and music performance centre are also included in the proposal’s legacy offering. The development would cover a total area of 125,000sq m.
'Sponge City' is one of six competition entries being considered for the Asian Games, with other submissions coming from AS+P, SO-IL, NEXT Architects, Jadric Architektur and Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.
A winner is due to be announced in September 2018.
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