The Jining Cultural Center is a major development project in Shandong Province, divided into three phases. Phase one features a group art museum, a library, and a museum. Phase two showcases the Jining Art Museum, designed by Xize Liwei. Phase three comprises a commercial complex, boutique hotel, four cultural and creative office buildings, and two SOHO residential buildings, designed by Laguarda.Low Architects (LLA Architectural Design Company). Currently, the overall construction is nearing completion. Upon completion, the project will become a prominent landmark—a large-scale urban center, civic hub, and commercial-cultural complex in Jining City, Shandong Province, and the greater North China region.
Construction Drawing of Jining Cultural Center – Overall Aerial View © Li Xirun, Li Zhongzheng
Construction Drawing of Jining Cultural Center – Overall Aerial View © Li Xirun, Li Zhongzheng
In 2016, Laguarda.Low Architects won first prize in the design invitation competition, surpassing other internationally renowned firms, and was awarded the commission for the third phase master plan and architectural design. Serving as the overall planner and architect for phase three, LLA carefully considered the surrounding built environment and regional context, seamlessly integrating the new functions and buildings with the public cultural facilities already present within the block.
Jining Cultural Center – Architectural Model © LLA
Jining Cultural Center – Architectural Model © LLA
△ Jining Cultural Center – Sectional Perspective Diagram © LLA
Phase III covers a total area of 3 million square feet (approximately 279,000 square meters), adding four office buildings, two SOHO residential towers, a boutique hotel, a commercial podium, and four blocks of retail units to the site. The master plan carefully links the new phase with the first and second-phase cultural venues, maintaining a rich aesthetic diversity throughout. The design features a dynamic terraced landscape running west to east along a +6.8-meter highland park platform, integrating the entire site and harmoniously connecting seven new buildings with the four existing cultural centers: Mass Art Museum, Library, Jining Museum, and Jining Art Museum.
△ Jining Cultural Center – Functional Zoning Diagram © LLA
△ Jining Cultural Center – Main Corridor and Architectural Volume Evolution Diagram © LLA
△ Rendering of Jining Cultural Center – Overall Aerial View © LLA
△ Rendering of Jining Cultural Center – Office Tower © LLA
Jining Cultural Center – Architectural Model © LLA
Construction Drawing of Jining Cultural Center – Office Tower © Li Xirun, Li Zhongzheng
The design carefully controls the site’s overall curve, running north to south, linking and integrating the seven towers of phase three as a cohesive whole. This allows the individual buildings and commercial units across the four blocks to connect seamlessly through a unified design language, responding to one another and flowing smoothly onto the platform of the High Ground Park.
△ Jining Cultural Center – Rendering © LLA
The architectural and landscape design emphasizes unity, spatial continuity, public accessibility, and the dynamic expression of curves. Landscape design plays a vital role in integrating the cultural architecture with the complex, crafting a diverse experiential environment that includes parks, block landscapes, commercial spaces, and offices, enriching the existing cultural facilities.
△ Jining Cultural Center – Rendering © LLA
Phase three’s design is more than a collection of individual buildings; it’s a comprehensive, integrated master plan. By blending public spaces with commercial and cultural venues, it creates a vibrant, multifunctional public area for the citizens of Jining, offering an inspiring place to gather, socialize, and explore.
Jining Cultural Center – Construction Drawing © Li Xirun, Li Zhongzheng
Jining Cultural Center – Construction Drawing © Li Xirun, Li Zhongzheng
Project Information
Project Name: Jining Cultural Center Phase III
Owner: Jining Urban Investment
Location: Jining, China
Building Area: 279,000 square meters
Design Year: 2016
Project Status: Under construction
Design Company: LLA Architectural Design Company / Laguarda.Low Architects (LLA)
LLA Design Scope: Overall planning and architectural design for Phase III
Project Controller: Pablo Laguarda, FAIA
Chief Planner and Chief Architect: Pablo Laguarda, FAIA
Project Coordination: James Wu
LLA Design Team: Sebastian Grogaard, Christopher Powers, Qi Wang, Edgar Wong
Aerial Photography: Li Xirun, Li Zhongzheng
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