The Nanjing Jiahua G72 project is set to become one of the largest comprehensive developments in Chinese cities. Commissioned by the Hong Kong Jiahua Group, UNStudio is designing an all-weather lifestyle destination focused on culture, sustainable innovation, and a people-oriented approach. The multi-stage development spans both sides of a central river, organized around a “social ridge” concept.
UNStudio envisions a vibrant waterfront community that offers a low-density, green ecological environment for living and working. Upon completion, the project will revitalize Nanjing by creating a city hub that integrates culture, sports, finance, and innovative industries. Located in Nanjing Hexi New City, a national key urban center under development aiming to become China’s second Lujiazui, this project marks a major milestone for both Hexi New City and the Jiahua Group’s expansion in the Yangtze River Delta.
Strategically positioned along Hexi City’s central and economic axes, the site benefits from nearby subway and rail connections to the northwest and a coastal urban platform to the south, offering a prime geographical location. The design addresses four separate plots divided by a central river and planned roads, carefully planning commercial, hotel, office, cultural, and other functions to ensure independence and connectivity among diverse business types, ultimately forming a highly attractive and cohesive community.
The design features super high-rise office towers of 250 meters and 150 meters located on the north side of the central river, arranged neatly to create a dynamic skyline with sleek metal lines soaring skyward. On the south side, four towers accommodate hotel-style apartments, headquarters offices, and luxury hotels.
The project also incorporates waterfront green public spaces, low-density commercial podiums, and cultural venues, shaping a cityscape that rises gradually from the center outward. A green corridor extends through the podium and blocks, seamlessly integrating the community with its ecological surroundings and promoting urban well-being.
These green public platforms encourage social interaction, event hosting, and creative activity, offering residents, visitors, and creatives a healthy, innovative lifestyle and a peaceful retreat from fast-paced city life.
The core design strategy, termed the “Vibrant Waterfront Community,” draws inspiration from Nanjing’s historic Qinhuai River waterfront lifestyle. Leveraging the central axis water resources, the project features low-density, small-scale buildings and setback landscaped riverbanks, creating a waterfront street community that honors cultural and urban heritage.
The design activates public spaces along the waterfront, with towers located at the four corners of the site to maximize engagement with the water and provide welcoming spaces for visitors. The commercial district employs scattered smaller buildings to foster a human-scale street life, blending seamlessly with green waterfront areas to offer a unique garden-style shopping experience.
Retail spaces, low-rise zones, and cultural venues include multiple entrances and staggered terraces on the ground, second, and third floors, creating fluid indoor-outdoor transitions and a richly layered streetscape that vividly showcases the integration of the waterfront community.
This multi-level access encourages pedestrian flow between diverse commercial formats. The waterfront community also acts as a high-quality cultural platform serving both Nanjing and the wider region. As an ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, Nanjing has a deep-rooted waterfront culture, which is reflected in the project’s design.
Notably, the UCCA Ullens Contemporary Art Center will be located in the community’s central square, forming the heart of the cultural public space and providing a new venue to showcase Nanjing’s culture and art on a global stage. The center’s streamlined, rhythmic design echoes the fluidity of the community space, adding an artistic dimension to the neighborhood.
The transparent glass curtain wall symbolizes openness and inclusivity, inviting the public to engage with the internal activities. An eye-catching outdoor theater further supports unique experiential events, establishing the area as a destination for art, social life, and everyday community gatherings.
In the future, this vibrant cultural venue will host international events, exhibitions, and social activities, innovating the use of public and semi-public spaces for visitors and residents alike.
The Jiahua G72 plan aims to set a new benchmark in China for sustainable development and forward-thinking design. Central to the project is the creation of well-being, achieved by integrating technology to produce low-carbon, healthy, and adaptable buildings and spaces.
From the outset, the project incorporates active energy-saving technologies, including natural ventilation, HVAC systems, rooftop and façade solar photovoltaic panels, rainwater management, and reclaimed water systems, all designed to reduce energy consumption.
The office towers utilize prefabricated components and modular support structures to enhance flexibility. Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) are applied to all roofs, delivering high-performance energy production and savings, meeting daily energy needs while lowering operational costs. Plans also include extending BIPV to the curtain wall of the UCCA Ullens Contemporary Art Center.
A smart rainwater management system harnesses the project’s central water axis to collect and reuse rainwater for irrigation, fostering a healthy ecosystem. As a model for future developments, the project integrates intelligent building systems to efficiently manage resources and respond to future challenges and changes.
Sustainability is further supported by a multi-level transportation network that connects to underground public transit, enhancing convenience and regional accessibility. Riverbank pedestrian walkways and circular landscape overpasses separate from vehicle lanes connect various plots and businesses, encouraging walking and supporting transit-oriented development (TOD) principles.
These strategies collectively contribute to China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
This forward-looking multifunctional community will support Nanjing’s ambitious development vision by designing at both spatial and human scales. It aims to provide residents, visitors, and creatives with a healthy, enjoyable environment for work, shopping, and living.
Our design adds diverse value to an area rich in historical and cultural heritage, presenting a revitalized urban form and community image. — Hannes Pfau, Partner at UNStudio
UNStudio, together with HKS and Gehl, has been selected to lead the architectural and urban design for Project Connect, a major expansion of the public transportation system in Austin, Texas, USA. The internationally renowned firm has also secured the renovation of Madrid’s Chamartín Clara Campoamor station in Spain, in collaboration with b720 Arquitectos, as well as winning the design competition for a new residential district in the historic center of Iași, Romania.
Project Drawings
△ Water System Analysis Diagram
△ Functional Zoning Diagram
△ Block Analysis Diagram
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
UNStudio Design Team: Ben van Berkel, Hannes Pfau with Garett Hwang, Guomin Lin, Bin Fu, Alexander Meyers, Kaisi Hsu, Maya Calleja, Harshdeep Arora, Tsungyen Hsieh, Matt Burdalski, Peter Malaga, Craig Yan, Junya Huang, Yu Zhao, Yang Xu, Liang Yu, Hal Chen, Joanna Wang, Andres Monis, Lawrence Ma, with Kyle Chou, Dongbo Han, Ujjal Roy, Mimmo Barbaccia, Diego Ramirez, Ami Nigam, Wei Huang, Dmitry Seregin, Pedro Manzano Ruiz, Yufeng Tu, Zhenyu Yang, Yubang Wu
Executive Architect: P&T Group
Local Design Institute (LDI): Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer (MEP): WSP
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
Landscape Architect: AECOM
Facade Design Consultants: Inhabit, Hyder
Lighting Consultant: BPI
Transportation Consultant: MVA
Cost Consultant: ARCADIS
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