Meng Fanhao, co-founder and lead architect of Line+, was appointed by the owner to lead the project as the creator and chief architect. He oversees the urban renewal of the core site in Chengdu’s old city area—the “Excellence · Dianjiangtai 79” complex. Meng coordinates multiple disciplines including architecture, interior design, landscape, curtain wall, and lighting to ensure a cohesive final outcome throughout the entire process. Construction officially began in April this year, with the lower section nearing topping out. The project is expected to be completed progressively by the end of 2025.
“Chengdu embodies a spirit of inclusiveness, internationalization, and vibrancy, growing harmoniously in a land full of vitality. In this renewal plan, we aim not only to restore the physical texture of the city but also to integrate contemporary living and consumption patterns, further invigorating the old city with a complex and diverse mixed-use street,” says Meng Fanhao.
The project site is located in Jinjiang District, Chengdu, near historic landmarks such as Niuwang Temple and Dianjiangtai. The Dongdajie area, once Chengdu’s most prosperous commercial center, has given rise to modern shopping hubs like Taikoo Li and Chunxi Road. Historical records show that since the Qing Dynasty, Chengdu’s commodity market evolved into a specialized, multifunctional street and alley system combining workshops, markets, and other functions. Dongdajie remains the best-preserved block reflecting Chengdu’s unique commercial culture and late Qing Dynasty streetscape, featuring spacious shops with tall, ornate windows and vibrant signage that carries forward commercial traditions dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties.
△ Location Map
△ Left: East Street in 1920 (Image source: Jinjiang District Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau); Right: Chengdu East Street in 1980 (Photo by Bao Anhua)
△ The bustling commercial centers of Taikoo Li and Chunxi Road are situated along the Tuyuan Network
Faced with the dual demands of preserving history while advancing modernization, Line+ proposed the concept of “texture stitching, block symbiosis” for the urban renewal project.
△ Southeast corner bird’s-eye view integrated with the real scene
The approach involves coordinating a variety of architectural scales to weave together the urban fabric, fostering dialogue between old and new neighborhoods and achieving their harmonious coexistence. Simultaneously, it integrates traditional commercial spatial models with modern formats, embedding traditional spatial experiences within contemporary consumer scenarios. This creates a new type of commercial complex featuring mixed-use scenarios and diverse formats. Drawing upon historical and cultural landmarks like Dianjiangtai and Jiaozi, the project extends and revitalizes the cultural essence of Tianfu Jincheng’s “Eight Streets, Nine Squares, and Ten Scenes.”
The design first defines a main street that connects the east and west sides of the plot, linking the First Ring Road with Niuwangmiao North Street and the corner garden, creating an internal interface open to the city. It then opens a corner square along this east-west axis, connected by smaller streets and alleys on either side of the main street, forming low-density blocks with traditional street and alley scales.
△ Development analysis
△ Model photo
The commercial clusters within the block consist of three basic interconnected units arranged in a staggered, enclosed layout forming courtyards of varying sizes. These spaces accommodate diverse functions such as commercial activities, production workshops, and urban gatherings, creatively preserving the complex character of historic commercial streets and alleys.
The super high-rise towers positioned at both ends of the site “float” above the entire block, preserving the integrity of the underlying urban fabric. The elevated lower-level space forms a visual corridor between Niuwangmiao North Street, Dianjiang Taitung Street, and the First Ring Road, establishing visual connectivity while reducing the sense of enclosure at the urban interface.
The sleek, contemporary super high-rise tower symbolizes urban ambition. By maximizing the open space underneath, it effectively compensates for public urban space. Coupled with synergy from the commercial zones, it fosters new urban business opportunities, revitalizes city life, and fulfills the ultimate goal of urban renewal.
△ Design Strategy
The facade of the super high-rise features a horizontally stepped rectangular shape with softened rounded corners that ease the mass’s visual impact and optimize internal views. Vertically, metal “arches” segment the building form, evoking the image of steadily growing bamboo. This design combines elegance with contemporary materials.
△ Facade design analysis
Utilizing the Rhino and Revit platforms, combined with Line+’s comprehensive digital workflow, the design team efficiently addresses complex challenges such as glass curtain wall wall-node details in the super high-rise. This approach enhances design flexibility and ensures precise control over design expression and detail resolution, guaranteeing high-quality project execution.
△ Detailed curtain wall facade node drawings
In urban renewal, Line+ consistently addresses how to blend tradition with modern development. This project draws on traditional commercial streets and alleys as spatial prototypes, preserving the historical significance of spatial forms while innovatively proposing an open organizational model that redefines urban function. This creates a new paradigm for mixed-use urban blocks that emerge from the past and progress toward the future.
Project Information
Project Name: Chengdu “Excellence · Dianjiangtai No. 79” Urban Renewal Complex
Design Firm: Line+ Architectural Firm
Lead Architect / Project Creator: Meng Fanhao
Design Team: Tao Tao, Wang Yubin, Zhang Tao, Zhang Hanqi, Li Changhao, Zhu Xiaojing, Li Hang, Chen Guanxing, Yuan Dong, Zhou Chao, Yuan Han, Huang Jiaofeng, Li Jing, Pan Yiming, Huang Hanyi, Korean Yan, Shi Yuhang, Shen Rui, Wang Saishi (intern)
Owner: Excellent Group Chengdu Company
Interior Design: CCD Zheng Zhong Design, Qiu Deguang Design Firm, Fengwu Design
Landscape Design: Shanshui Beide
Planning Consultant: Practical Institution
Structural Consultant: Tongji University Architectural Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.
Curtain Wall Consultant: Sifuxi Architectural Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Lighting Consultant: BPI (Shanghai Bifu Lighting Engineering Design Co., Ltd.)
Construction Drawing Cooperation Unit: Sichuan Guoheng Architectural Design Co., Ltd.
Location: Chengdu, Sichuan
Building Area: 68,323 m² (above ground), 24,869 m² (underground)
Design Period: April 2021 – Present
Construction Period: April 2023 – Present
Structure: Steel structure and reinforced concrete
Materials: Glass, aluminum/metal panels, clay bricks, clay tiles, stone
*The images shown represent design-stage renderings. The final construction outcome may vary.
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