Foster + Partners’ masterplan for a major development in the centre of Wuhan, China has been granted planning permission.
Yuexiu International Financial City will establish a new district that "seamlessly integrated with the surrounding streets, and can regenerate the city’s once vibrant heart", the architecture firm said.
"Rather than create an enclosed ‘city within a city’, we have stitched this new quarter into the surrounding streets," said Luke Fox, senior executive partner. "It will have a distinctive new identity, but one that is inspired by local architecture, history and culture."
He added that the studio’s aim was "to create a new urban model for Wuhan".
The majority of vehicles have been relocated below ground to create a network of pedestrian streets (Foster + Partners)
The 147,000-sq-m scheme includes office and residential towers, a hotel, shops and restaurants and new public spaces.Â
It is intended to be a walkable, "highly permeable" new part of the city.
The volume of traffic has been reduced and the majority of vehicles have been relocated below ground to create a network of pedestrian streets, with road widths kept to a minimum, Foster + Partners said.
Main photograph: Yuexiu International Financial City will establish a new district that "seamlessly integrated with the surrounding streets" (Foster + Partners)
