Raffles City by UN STUDIO Hangzhou

ARTICLE BY Benjamin Pfitscher Qianjiang New City

Unstudios mixed-use Raffles City development is located near the Qiangtan River in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang
province, located 180 kilometres southwest of Shanghai. With a city population of 1.69 million, Hangzhou is one of the
most renowned and prosperous cities in China and is well known for its beautiful natural scenery, particularly in the
West Lake area. UNStudios Raffles City in Hangzhou will be CapitaLands sixth Raffles City, following those in Singapo-
re, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Bahrain. UNStudios Raffles City Hangzhou incorporates retail, offices, housing and
hotel facilities and marks the site of a cultural landscape within the Quianjiang.

raffles city 1 interior2 model 3 model 4

NEW TOWN AREA

Raffles City Hangzhou is due for realisation in 2012. After four years of planning and construction, it will reach
a height of 60 stories, presenting views both to and from the Qiantang River and West Lake areas. Raffles City
Hangzhou will provide a total floor area of almost 300,000 square metres. In the chain of events and attractions
of Hangzhou, like the West Lake area and the commercial centre, the Raffles City project will be at the core of the
Qianjiang New Town area and contribute to the recognition of this area as a new destination in the city.

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 Ben van Berkel says of the project, I believe it will have a sizable impact, as it is a project with a very strong identity
and an individual character, which means it will become a place to which people would like to return. It is a project
which communicates both with the architecture and within the context of Hangzhou as a city, for this reason we
believe it will be a very unique building in China.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRINCIPLES

An inclusive approach to sustainability is an important part of UNStudios design philosophy. In the Raffles City
project UNStudio seeks to receive the gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Green Building rating system, the industry standard for rating of the eco-friendliness of buildings

usings 8 views 9 conection 10 circulation 11

The incorporation of natural ventilation principles and the ways in which materials are employed, all work in con-
cordance with one another to lower the energy and material demands of the building. Urban sustainability is also
an important consideration in the design. The programme mix creates a dynamic, continuous 24/7 cycle of activity,
a hub for business conduct, a new destination for visitors and residents alike and will become an all-in-one desti-
nation for working, living, leisure and entertainment.

DATES
Raffles City, Hangzhou, China, 2008
Building surface: 389,489 m2
Building site: 40,355m2
Programme: Mixed-use, incorporating commercial buildings: Class A office buildings, five-star hotels and high end
residential buildings.
Status: Planned realisation 2012

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