Page 48 - JCAU-5-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Envisioning rural futures

Future Shan-Shui City in May 2020. The competition to hydrogeological events, such as flooding and landslides,
1
took place in two phases. The first phase attracted 93 during the rainy season from April to June (Liu et al.,
applications from individual firms or groups of experts, 2020b). The Ou River flows from the southwest to the
design institutes, and universities. Each participant was northeast of this valley (Figure 4). The riverbed ranges from
required to submit a portfolio and a preliminary draft of 120 to 350 m in width, but in places, it is more than 1 km
the strategy for the overall site. Based on these documents, wide. Apart from the new developments close to Bihu and
ten contestants were shortlisted for the second phase. Dagangtou Towns, most of the settlements are agricultural
2
They were asked to develop a territorial project for the villages with a population from 500 to 2000 people. The
overall area, in-depth urban plans for five different sites, typical dwellings are two- or three-story, single-family
and an architectural prototype for each (Lishui Municipal houses, in concrete and brick (Figure 5). This site has a
People’s Government, 2019). The competition set four total population of about 85,000 people; more than 85%
main objectives: (i) the development of new typologies of of residents are classified as rural citizens (hukou) (Lishui
settlement to curb land consumption and repopulate the Bureau of Statistics, 2020).
mountainous areas; (ii) the promotion of new economic
activities based on agriculture, tourism, and well-being; Within this area, four sites were assigned to all the
(iii) the re-organization of services and facilities throughout participants to develop site-specific projects, plus a fifth
the site; and (iv) the preservation and enhancement of the one specific to each competitor (Figure 6). These sites
local landscape. Within this brief, the theme of shan-shui, varied from mountainous terrains with traditional villages,
that is, the landscape in its pictorial and contemplative
meaning, underscores the focus on the environment,
while the adjective future encourages experimental and
innovative approaches.
The site for the planning activities is a 152 sqkm area
centered on a valley 20 km southwest of Lishui. The
main industry on the valley floor is agriculture with 5000
hectares of farmland (Figure 2). This is surrounded by
mountains featuring forests, small waterways, and terraces
for rice cultivation (Figure 3). This environment is prone

1 The competition was organized by the Lishui Municipal
People’s Government with Lishui Municipal Development
and Reform Commission, and Dwellings in Lishui Mountains
Project Planning and Construction Leading Group Office;
and the planning executive was the Shanghai One-Tenth Figure 2. Cultivations in Lishui Valley, 2021. Source: Photo by Raul
Art Space Co., Ltd. The jury was composed by Jiaming Cao Ariano; reprinted (adapted) with permission from Raul Ariano;
Copyright © 2021 Raul Ariano
(Architectural Society of China), Kai Cui (Chinese Academy
of Engineering), Yansong Ma (MAD Architects), Weidong
Ma (Architecture and Urbanism), Nishizawa Ryue (SANAA
Architects), Alan J. Plattus (Center for Urban Design
Research), Zhiqiang Wu (Chinese Academy of Engineering
and Tongji University), Shiling Zheng (Chinese Academy of
Science and French Academy of Architecture and Science),
and Jian Zhuo (Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning and Design
Institute and Urban Planning Society of China).
2 The ten finalist are: Boeri Architecture Design Consulting
+ Tongji Architectural Design + WWSZ; UNStudio +
Gross Max + Systematica; SCUT + Politecnico di Torino;
Eco Systems Design Studio + Cai Yongjie; Canada GA City
Planning and Landscape Design + Zhejiang Province Institute
of Architectural Design and Research + ZIAD; CAUPD,
Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua
University; Olivier Greder Architects; China Architecture Figure 3. Lishui mountains and the agricultural villages, 2021. Source:
Design and Research Group; DE-SO Asia Design Consultant Photo by Raul Ariano; reprinted (adapted) with permission from Raul
Joint Stock Company + DDON Planning and Design. Ariano; Copyright © 2021 Raul Ariano

Volume 5 Issue 3 (2023) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.0957