China will soon see a commercial district in the lap of nature. Italian architect Massimo Roj of Progetto CMR has designed a 170,000 square meters hi-tech park for Shanghai. Dubbed the “Caohejing Hi-Tech Park’, this commercial district will house offices, a residential complex, hotel, a research center and other related services. In order to reduce the density of visible concrete jungle, Roj has incorporated the use of plants that will play a vital role in beautifying the design, in addition to saving the planet. It is incredible to see that every structure involved in the project depicts a material.
The housing and hotel functions portray the rock layers and the office towers behave as precious gems that emerge from the soil. The center for pharmaceutical research, a forest of bamboo is a representation of nature, while the water element stands as core around which all business revolve such as restaurants, bars, shopping areas and a gym.
