7th Ring of Beijing

Due to rapid urbanisation of densely populated Chinese metropolitan areas, there is a need to improve the quality of living. Xiang’he, a garden city of approximately 700 hectares, will be realised close to the future 7th ring of Beijing. Within the first phase of the development, space is allocated for a public parkrelated to the water basins that are a result of clay excavation by the existing brick factories.

Park of the Floating Gardens

OKRA’s concept of the Park of the Floating Gardens turns the former clay pits into a water park. OKRA propose to turn the isolated pits into a park area with a strong identity based on the presence of water at different levels, providing recreational facilities and contributing to a sustainable environment. The park is a water basin consisting of fifty to seventy percent water. This contributes to water management and purification for the adjacent housing areas.

Qualities of Water

Experiencing the water is the backbone for the park of the floating gardens. This essential quality will be experienced by creation of views, functional storage of rainwater, and poetically reflecting the sky and artificial light in the evenings.