The Alibaba Damo Academy South Lake Park, designed collaboratively by Ken Wai, Global Design Director of Aedas, Li Wei, Executive Director, and Shen Feili, has been successfully completed. This park integrates state-of-the-art intelligent offices, research laboratories, visitor and exhibition centers, alongside various supporting facilities.
The design aims to establish a world-class research institute by South Lake in Yuhang, creating an elegant and iconic business landmark for Hangzhou. Situated in the core zone of the West Hangzhou Science and Technology Innovation Corridor—Nanhu Science Center in Yuhang District—the site covers approximately 228,100 square meters, extending nearly 500 meters both north-south and east-west.
Viewed from the mountaintop, the distinctive image of a floating leaf on colorful water embodies the Damo Academy’s spirit, blending Eastern heritage with futuristic technology. The landscape and axis system, inspired by leaf veins, shapes the park as a floating Bodhi leaf on Nanhu Lake’s surface.
The park layout is angled 15 degrees from south to east, forming a layered, deep Chinese courtyard-style architectural complex. Finger-shaped buildings run parallel from east to west, with the visitor center positioned at the main entrance. Restaurants and public service facilities line the central north-south axis. Connecting the Damo Ring and Damo Road establishes an extended, centripetal geometric topology.
A wind and rain corridor and green courtyards naturally link the office buildings, creating a spatial environment where lake reflections and green veins coexist harmoniously.
The design embraces the concept of “work groups,” fully integrating work, meeting, and personal spaces to foster an open, shared, and flexible collaborative office environment. The multi-story office buildings feature a regular column grid and modular layouts, allowing floors to accommodate workspaces ranging from 500 to 4,000 square meters based on needs, maximizing flexibility.
Embedded courtyards, gardens, and public squares provide spaces for employees to relax and engage in activities, combining nature with the built environment. The serrated facades paired with glass curtain walls optimize views while using facade angles strategically to minimize visual interference between buildings.
“We have created a miniature city that merges Eastern philosophy and advanced technology in both form and function. The architecture integrates seamlessly with the natural surroundings, prioritizing ecological sustainability and setting a new standard for future office spaces,” said Wei Yeqi.
Project Drawings
△ Hand-drawn sketch
△ Hand-drawn sketch
Project Information
Architect: Aedas
Area: 500,000 m²
Project Year: 2023
Lead Architect: June Liu
Client: Chuanjia Technology (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd
Location: Hangzhou
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