BIM Architecture: Jiangyin Binjiang Park in Jiangsu, China by BAU Architecture and Urban Design

Introduction

Jiangyin, situated along the bustling “golden waterway” of the Yangtze River, is undergoing an ambitious transformation. Former industrial docks are being redeveloped into vibrant, high-density living and working spaces. The first phase focuses on creating a four-kilometer-long public riverfront area. Through a competitive invitation process, BAU’s design proposal was selected as the winning concept.

Design Objectives:

The project aims to:

1. Restore the local ecological corridor.
2. Preserve the poetic industrial heritage of the area.
3. Protect the historical landscape.
4. Introduce modern leisure facilities that reflect contemporary trends.
5. Connect surrounding areas to form an integrated urban park network.

Soft Boundaries and Ecological Corridor

The Yangtze River’s ever-changing tides nurture Jiangyin’s rich riverside ecology. Binjiang Park’s construction focuses on restoring and enhancing the local microenvironment. Riverbanks are reinforced and stabilized using rock structures, and a continuous corridor of native plants connects the entire site. This green corridor links Goose Nose Mouth Mountain in the east with an ecological corridor to the west, creating a seamless natural network.

Poetry in the Post-Industrial Era

Endlessly shaped by the Yangtze River’s flow, the vast, weathered docks have taken on a rich patina of brown. From the dockside, visitors can gaze across the expansive river, feeling the grandeur and momentum of the water. Formerly the site of the Yangtze River Shipyard, Binjiang Park preserves the raw, industrial framework of its shipbuilding past. The design retains the massive scale, strength, and clarity of the original industrial environment.

As vegetation and diverse landscapes grow, this revitalized dock area will provide residents with a vibrant refuge from daily life, blending history with natural beauty.

Continuing the History

Shipyard Park Reimagined

The area’s natural advantages—developed water transport and open flatlands for cargo storage—made this riverside dock a natural port. Post-reform, a fully equipped shipyard was constructed to the dock’s east. The current design not only preserves the site’s historical elements but also enhances them through ecological, circulation, and planning improvements.

The result is a layered reinterpretation of local history and environment, providing diverse public spaces that support a wide range of outdoor activities.

Historical features preserved include ship launching slides, gantry cranes and their rails, shipyard buildings, breakwaters, Chinese gardens, tree-lined paths, and various cultural relics. Connectivity is enhanced through trails, bike lanes, water boardwalks, extended sightlines, and pathways linking new areas.

Leisure amenities include sports fields and a skateboard park, while entertainment options feature a children’s adventure park and senior exercise areas shaped like boats. Social spaces encompass open plazas, visitor centers, and large exhibition halls. Rest areas offer pavilions, seating, picnic tables, and boat-shaped viewing platforms. Ecological elements include rain gardens, waterfront habitats, and ecological corridors.

© Zengjiang River

Three Historic Ports

Jiangyin’s port history dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). Research identified three key historical ports in the area:

• Huangtian Port, believed to have formed nearly 2,000 years ago, now serves as the main public activity space. The Yangtze River map is integrated into the ground pavement here.
• Jiucai Port, a restored industrial port featuring a restaurant designed as a rolling hill, offering residents distant river views.
• Fish Port, formerly a renowned fish market dating to the 16th century, now transformed with a square, park, and fresh fish restaurant that provides interpretive information about its history.

A New Era of Leisure

Since China’s reform and opening up nearly 50 years ago, leisure and entertainment options have expanded dramatically for all age groups. Binjiang Park is now Jiangyin’s largest amusement park, designed to accommodate varied activities.

Within the park, a four-kilometer jogging track links numerous outdoor sports fields and fitness equipment. A more relaxed path connects large children’s playgrounds, a skateboard park, and numerous elderly exercise stations. With square dancing widely popular, multiple dance plazas are provided.

The park also includes numerous pavilions, game tables, picnic lawns, and tents, with plans for even more activity spaces. This vibrant environment ushers in a new era of healthy, engaging entertainment for local residents.

© Zengjiang River

Emerging Park Network

Binjiang Park’s bike lane marks the start of a 20-kilometer cycling loop around Jiangyin City, linking existing and planned linear parks. This connectivity supports not only recreation but also ecological integration, forging an expanding network of green ecosystems.

A pedestrian walkway runs along the Yangtze River’s edge, with a boardwalk extending eastward to dramatic cliffs. The park’s design bridges the dock area with urban development, extending landscape paths from city streets outward. Squares and riverfront corridors are strategically placed along this axis, creating a cohesive, emerging park network throughout Jiangyin.

Design Drawings

△ General layout plan

△ General plan of Shipyard Park and Fish Port Park

△ General layout of Jiucai Port Park and Huangtian Port Park

Project Information

• Status: Completed in 2020
• Location: Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China
• Duration: 2012–2020
• Client: Jiangyin Planning Bureau
• Construction Area: 36.7 hectares (Shipyard Park: 7.6 ha, Fish Port: 6.9 ha, Leek Port: 7.2 ha, Huangtian Port: 15 ha)
• Investment: 369 million RMB (Shipyard Park: 30 million RMB, Fish Port: 59 million RMB, Leek Port: 70 million RMB, Huangtian Port: 210 million RMB)
• Type: Public green spaces, sports parks, waterfront parks
• Key Features: Sustainable urban drainage system, urban gardens, ecological wetlands, public green spaces, industrial heritage preservation, squares, emergency docks, children’s playgrounds, extreme sports facilities, tennis courts, basketball courts, gateball courts, table tennis courts, football fields, outdoor swimming pools, open-air theaters, jogging trails, cycling lanes, pavilions, musical fountains, commercial and service buildings, visitor centers
• BAU Project Team Members:

• Program Creator: James Brearley
• Landscape Design:

• Project Leader: Huang Fang
• Robin Armstrong, Wang Can, Xiong Juan, Li Shuyun, Lu Yinghong, Fang Xujie, Chen Yanling, Wang Chenlei, Huang Junbiao, Liu Xiaobo, Lisa Ann Gray, Alexander Abke, Wang Tiankui, Luo Li, Cheng Yedian

• Project Leader: Jiang Han
• Steve Whitford, Joseph Tran, Zhang Xu, Gao Weiguo, Ni Wei, Hou Huilin, Tatjana Djordjevic, Li Fuming, Wang Keming, Li Dongdong, Yang Tai, Pu Lengfeng, Guo Lin

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