The Green Dunes Urban Park Girimun Architects
Feeding the heart of the city, Beijing, and located between two of its main arteries, the Green Dunes project is to transform the site into a mixed use urban park. The unique master plan designed for the 16.5-hectare site, proposes a sustainable, green, high density park with a new user experience. Designed by Mauro Resnitzky, of Girimun Architects, the design is innovative in all aspects; it serves the city substantially through the initiation of a multipurpose huge space within the city. The park incorporates various green areas which soften the hard surrounding built structures; it offers a constantly changing environment with its protected sunken plazas and its high-rise towers. The parks’ design is very playful with all the podiums, multi-level walkways, and integrated public spaces encouraging users to interact with nature and with each other.
Courtesy of Girimun Architects
Citizens of the city as well as visitors will be given a chance to enjoy the vast program of Green Dunes. Planned to accommodate seven residential towers, six office towers, two soho towers, retail, leisure and cultural spaces, as well as a hotel building, the park will attract people of different interests to experience its magnificent program. The design also facilitates the traffic by connecting two major roads, metro and train stations. The retail and cultural spaces are directly linked to the underground network. The core of the master plan is very pedestrian-friendly; thereby, cars and other vehicles are only accessed at the edges of the project.
Courtesy of Girimun Architects
The program is organized according to the relationships of surrounding streets to the buildings. Along the major North and South roads, commercial towers are located. On the West side of the plan, residential towers are to be located on a green landscape. On the opposite side, to the East of the plan, entertainment clusters are located housing cafes, galleries, and cultural spaces to serve the city and the users of the park. This spectacular Girimun design echoes the natural geological forms of the dunes giving it a stronger presence within its environment.
Courtesy of Girimun Architects
By: Ala’ Abuhasan
Courtesy of Girimun Architects
