The “Oō Eli Tianmu-ri” urban complex, designed by Renzo Piano, is nearing completion and is scheduled to officially open at the end of September this year. Located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, this project covers approximately 230,000 square meters. It features a diverse range of facilities, including office spaces, art museums, art centers, fashion show venues, design hotels, retail stores, and art businesses—making it a comprehensive art park.
The design concept encloses the entire site within a super-large square measuring 130 m by 95 m. This formation creates an urban oasis—an inviting living room for the city—akin to an apple wrapped in a hard shell. Within this shell, a vibrant core of activities and events will take place, fostering a soft and lively heart for the community.
Oō Eli Tianmu-ri marks Renzo Piano’s first commercial project in China. The design process began in 2012, led by the renowned clothing brand Jiangnan Buyi and China’s top architectural firm, Goa Elephant Design. Goa Elephant Design also served as the executive designer, collaborating with RPBW over eight years to deliver full-cycle control and integrated indoor-outdoor design.
The team’s involvement in architectural design, structural engineering, equipment technology, project management, and operational resources has ensured that “Oō Eli Tianmu” meets international standards with high-quality execution. The project also benefits from the expertise of Japanese landscape master Shunmei Kano and American plant ecologist Paul Kephart, who contributed to the plant landscapes and garden designs.
Art installations by world-renowned artists are woven throughout the complex. British landscape artist Richard Long and Thai contemporary artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, known for his focus on residential and social art, have works featured here. Additionally, American artist Theaster Gates—famed for transforming urban public spaces and large-scale sculptures—collaborates for the first time on the design of the BLOCK buying department store within the complex. Upon opening, Oō Eli Tianmu-ri is expected to become a highly anticipated cultural and artistic landmark in the city.
Rendering of Oō Eli Tianmu © RPBW
Design Manuscript and Conceptual Model © RPBW
Oō Eli Tianmu Real Scene © Goa Elephant Design
The hard “shell” structure surrounds 17 individual buildings, all oriented around a central green garden. Buildings framing the site are limited to nine floors, with setbacks on the eighth and ninth floors to ensure ample sunlight reaches every corner of the square.
This project features nearly 50,000 square meters of exposed concrete engineering—a pioneering achievement on a global scale. The plain concrete work was completed through a collaboration between skilled concrete construction teams from Italy and China, incorporating several highly experimental techniques.
Typical office ceiling sample © Goa Elephant Design
The exposed concrete construction was carried out by the Italian expert team Dottor Group in China. The photo shows a sample of the plain concrete wall used in the project. © Maxime Laurant
The real scene of the Oō Eli Tianmu Art Center reveals the park’s architectural highlight. The highly challenging structure features a central steel-concrete cylinder tower flanked by load-bearing walls measuring 18 meters long and 42 meters high, with a remarkably thin wall thickness of just 25 cm. The entire building boasts an asymmetrical, exaggerated facade that delivers a striking visual impact.
Night view of Oō Eli Tianmu © Tianmuli
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