Photo © Chill Shine

“There were a lot of goals,” says Peiwen Yu, the Houston-based SWA principal in charge of that firm’s engagement. “We needed to mitigate the risk of flooding, enhance water quality through ecological restoration, and create a river that everyone in the city can come to and enjoy,” she explained. The local government’s hope is that, by meeting these goals, the redevelopment will promote regional growth as the river winds its way through areas ranging from industrial and high-tech districts to a commercial and residential core and semirural precincts.

To transform the river’s edge, the designers created a network of pedestrian and bike paths and an ecological corridor that slows the movement of water with pockets of native plantings, multiple-arc weirs, and habitats that offer protection for fish and other aquatic life. Pedestrian bridges and stepping stones encourage activity on both sides of the river and knit communities together. Farther inland, rain gardens and bioswales help filter and absorb water, reducing runoff in the process. New ramps, softened by plantings on existing retaining walls, take residents to the water’s edge, while a series of gardens, playgrounds, outdoor classrooms, and pavilions entice people to spend time along the river. By adding new access points to the river, the project not only strengthens the surrounding communities’ connection to the water but allows faster egress in the event of flash flooding. Phase-one changes accommodate large groups of people, while those in phase two offer the chance for residents to engage with more natural environments, where wild goats and waterfowl can be spotted.

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The first phase is more urban than other areas, offering a tranquil riparian experience (1 & 2). Photos © Chill Shine

Both teams created structures that respond to the local Hakka culture, with SWA designing a four-story-high observation tower inspired by traditional lanterns and Hassell crafting a Place of 657 Dragons, which incorporates a multitiered tower, a gently arcing bridge, and an existing stone wall carved with the nine dragons. Hassell also designed more modern insertions, such as a bridge with a curving spine of vertical lights and elliptical pavilions made of glass and steel.

When the Hassell team showed residents its initial designs, the community pushed back on some of the modern features. “We told them that the river itself is a dragon,” recalls Wang, “but they thought our plans were too contemporary and would change the feng shui of the area.” Eventually, the architects realized they needed to let go of some of their designer ego and include some “old-fashioned” elements, such as traditional pavilions with curved eaves on the arcing bridge, to encourage people to embrace the project, says Wang. Hassell also found chances to refer to familiar iconography in their modern designs, such as shaping steps at the water’s edge as dragon scales. Instead of getting caught in a battle with residents over allusions to the folkloric beasts, the designers merged old and new in both the landscaping and buildings. What had begun as an obstacle to be overcome eventually turned into an asset that could be leveraged to make the Longgang River a more integral part of people’s daily lives. At the same time, the undertaking as a whole repaired a damaged ecosystem and reduced the chance of future disasters.

Image courtesy SWA and Hassell, click to enlarge