On April 23rd, PHA proudly unveiled its latest project, The Ring Shopping Park, situated in the heart of the Liangjiang New Area business district in Chongqing, China. Commissioned by Hong Kong Land, this expansive development spans a total construction area of 420,000 square meters. It includes approximately 170,000 square meters of large-scale shopping centers and commercial streets, 110,000 square meters of premium 5A-grade office buildings, and 70,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor urban green parks. Even before completion, The Ring had already earned multiple prestigious international awards, such as the Best Retail Architecture Award in China at the 2018 International Property Awards, the Architecture Master Prize in 2019, and the Global RLI Awards in 2020.
As the inaugural project of Hong Kong Land’s new commercial brand series, “The Ring,” this development embraces the vision of creating an intelligent commercial space that reconnects with the origins of life ecology while delivering a unique shopping experience to consumers in Southwest China. PHA ingeniously integrated a vast indoor botanical garden into the commercial space, embodying the core concept of an “urban natural community.” The entire masterplan and architectural design revolve around this innovative idea.
Located in the Jinzhou commercial district within the core business area of Liangjiang New Area in northern Chongqing, the project is strategically positioned above Metro Line 5. The masterplan features an L-shaped centralized commercial zone, two premium 5A-grade office towers, and a green belt commercial street nestled between them. The Ring shopping center serves as the city’s showcase, with its architectural blocks arranged in an S-shaped twist, creating two landscape focal points facing both the green belt commercial street and the indoor botanical garden, as well as an external landscaped terrace. The office towers form a cohesive cluster, integrated with adjacent office plots.
1. Seamless Integration of Indoor Botanical Gardens and Commercial Routes
The centerpiece of this project is undoubtedly the expansive indoor botanical garden, known as Muguang Forest. Spanning seven floors and rising 48 meters high, this space breaks away from traditional enclosed courtyards found in many commercial designs. Instead, it introduces a transparent botanical garden inside the mall, offering an extraordinary experiential environment. With seasonal variations and a variety of vibrant landscapes, enhanced by cascading waterfalls, it presents a breathtaking panorama of natural beauty.
The design reflects a meticulous approach to connecting green spaces with retail areas. The botanical garden is strategically positioned alongside the main circulation path, allowing for integration with the retail zones without disrupting the commercial flow. Both spaces benefit from abundant natural light. This seamless connection extends in multiple dimensions, both horizontally and vertically, and is showcased to the city through a prominent glass curtain wall on the southeast side.
Far from being a simple green courtyard, the botanical garden is a dome-shaped, 48-meter-high space with multiple setback levels, interspersed with open retail shops. This layout maximizes greenery in the horizontal plane, closely linking it with the commercial flow. Visitors can effortlessly switch between shopping and leisure, significantly reducing the typical tension and confinement felt in conventional commercial spaces.
2. Multi-Level Shopping Experience Through Commercial Streets
The botanical garden acts as a vibrant “focal point” connecting both indoor and outdoor commercial streets within the mall. Taking advantage of the site’s natural elevation differences, The Ring features a sunken city square at the main entrance, complemented by a lush green water feature to create a refreshing recreational area. The transportation corridors established here not only guide visitors but also craft a dynamic multi-level spatial experience, forging strong connections with the office towers and the neighboring community.
Facing the busy city road adjacent to the commercial area, a terraced landscaping design softens the building’s mass, reducing its imposing presence on the surroundings. Vertical greenery further enhances the visual connection between the building and its environment, emphasizing ecological integration.
3. Effective Use of Rooftop Spaces
Vertically, rooftop gardens play a key role in guiding visitor flow upwards. An outdoor activity platform located on the sixth-floor cinema level connects directly to the rooftop garden. This versatile space can host various themed events, creating an aerial activity plaza that supplements the rooftop and entrance plazas, enriching commercial possibilities and offering diverse spatial experiences for visitors.
The facade design draws inspiration from nature, capturing the essence of a “peak forest cloud environment.” Flowing lines evoke a sea of clouds, reinforcing the entrance’s prominence and reflecting a deep commitment to regional identity, culture, and artistry. The overall facade exudes a romantic and elegant aesthetic, embodying thoughtful humanistic care for visitors.
Beneath this emotive expression lies rational precision. The facade’s texture employs innovative parametric design logic to derive standardized modules, enabling modular consistency and creating a rhythmic, artistic beauty.
The Ring Shopping Park in Chongqing pushes the boundaries of functional space design and redefines formal aesthetic expression in its facade. This landmark project will boost development in Liangjiang New Area, reshape Chongqing’s retail landscape, and set a new standard for urban retail innovation.
Project Information
Project Name: Hong Kong Land Chongqing The Ring Shopping Park
Location: Chongqing, China
Year of Completion: 2021
Project Type: Centralized commercial, commercial street, super high-rise office, high-rise SOHO project
Total Construction Area: 420,000 square meters (including office towers, centralized commercial areas, commercial streets, and standalone commercial buildings)
Chief Architect: Xu Ziping
Design Team: Zhou Jiayu, Tong Yi, Hao Xiuling, Chen Xiaojun, Qin Dongdong, Lin Ying, Huang Lijuan
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