{"id":136014,"date":"2025-08-11T04:02:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T04:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/136014\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T04:02:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T04:02:15","slug":"dramatic-sculptural-tree-foregrounds-new-district-in-xian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/136014\/","title":{"rendered":"Dramatic, Sculptural Tree Foregrounds New District in Xi\u2019an"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

In Xi\u2019an, China, the city\u2019s Center Culture Business District<\/a> (CCBD) has finally emerged. The district, whose design was spearheaded by the London-based firm Heatherwick Studio<\/a>, is nestled just south of the city\u2019s historic center, lodged between the ruins of the Temple of Heaven and the prominent Shaanxi TV tower. This rich heritage informs, but doesn\u2019t stifle Xi\u2019an CCBD, which brilliantly combines ancient influences with contemporary forms and functions.<\/p>\n

Above all, CCBD serves as Xi\u2019an\u2019s newest multipurpose neighborhood, where a retail podium, office spaces, apartments, and public areas with greenery and plazas all converge. At the heart of the district, however, is the Xi\u2019an Tree, a vertical park with 56 elevated \u201cpetals.\u201d These petal-like terraces not only create a singular silhouette, but also double as cascading gardens with varying roof levels that offer sweeping views of Xi\u2019an\u2019s cityscape. As a nod to China\u2019s history, these gardens also mimic the biomes of the ancient Silk Road, traveling through everything from alpine tundras to dry steppes. To dramatize this structure even more, the district\u2019s surrounding buildings are designed with sloping roofs, all of which are subtly angled toward the Tree for visual continuity.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of simply making different buildings, and paving and planting the space in between them, there was the opportunity to craft an unexpected three-dimensional urban landscape on many levels,\u201d Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, explains.<\/p>\n

Material details found throughout the district only enhance that sense of three-dimensionality. Xi\u2019an CCBD relies heavily upon ceramics, with crafted tiles cladding building facades, columns, and curving beams. This material is no coincidence, and is instead yet another tribute to Xi\u2019an\u2019s artistic legacy. Here, ceramics reference the city\u2019s iconic Terracotta Army, which consists of<\/a> thousands of life-size soldiers and horses dating back more than 2,000 years. The ceramics encouraged local collaboration as well, seeing Heatherwick\u2019s design team work closely with Xi\u2019an artisans to produce over 100,000 tiles with a unique glaze. The care and diligence required to craft these tiles spark a distinctly tactile experience, where CCBD visitors are invited not just to observe but to touch building facades.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to infuse our project in Xi\u2019an with the spirit, variety, and texture that happens naturally in cities over time,\u201d Mat Cash, partner and group leader at Heatherwick Studio, adds. \u201cThe district pays homage to the city\u2019s tradition of making and its historic connection to ceramics. It\u2019s a place which invites you to reach out and touch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, the district even features glazed elevator buttons and door handles, ceramic planters, soft-edged stones, and hand-carved timber handrails and seats. Whether it be in its dynamic skyline or its minute details, it\u2019s clear that Xi\u2019an CCBD exists in the service of urban engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal of the whole project was to find a joyful and contemporary way to respond to the history of Xi\u2019an, and bring people together,\u201d Heatherwick concludes.<\/p>\n

Xi\u2019an CCBD opened to the public in December 2024. To learn more, visit the Heatherwick Studio website<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Designed by Heatherwick Studios, Xi\u2019an CCBD is the city\u2019s newest multipurpose neighborhood, where the Xi\u2019an Tree serves as a focal point.
\n\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

The Tree is a vertical park with 56 elevated \u201cpetals.\u201d In addition to stunning greenery, these terraces provide sweeping views of the Xi\u2019an cityscape.
\n\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

\"Xi'an<\/p>\n

Photo: Qingyan Zhu<\/p>\n

Heatherwick Studio: <\/b>Website<\/b><\/a> | <\/b>Instagram<\/b><\/a>
\nMy Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Heatherwick Studio.
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