Heatherwick Studio opens ceramics-rich Xian CCBD development in China
Heatherwick Studiohas updated the new Xian Centre Culture Business District upon its first public opening after sharing details of the project with Archinect last November.The development occupies space between the ruins of the Temple of Heaven and the famed Shaanxi TV Tower.Central to its design is the artistic heritage of ceramics in the region. A nod to the historical presence of the Terracotta Army can be seen in the exterior tiled cladding on each of its buildings facades.Photo credit: Qingyan ZhuThis confers an inviting tactile impression that will further lure its users. The studios founder, Thomas Heatherwick, says it also results in an "unexpected three-dimensional urban landscape" equalling 155,000 square meters (or more than 1.6 million square feet).Photo credit: Qingyan ZhuWithin its pedestrian-centric "sensory experience" comprised of a retail podium, offices, a hotel, and apartments, activity converges around a central plaza with a 187-foot high vertical park ...