The author of the project is Stephen Hall, Lebbeus Woods and artist Ai Weiwei also took part in the work. The multifunctional complex, conceptually called the Layered Porosity Quarter, will consist of five interconnected towers located around the square. These buildings will house offices, a hotel and apartments. The unusual shape of the towers, reminiscent of a plane cut into several parts, is Hall's response to the requirements of Chengdu building legislation, which strictly regulates the amount of sunlight falling on the surrounding high-rise buildings. The same goal is pursued by the "porous" facades of skyscrapers, lined with black and white diagonal lattice.
But the main role in the ensemble is played by the central square. It is named "Three Valleys", in honor of the poem of the same name by the great Chinese poet Du Fu (713-770), who lived for several years in Chengdu. To enhance the similarity between the landscape described in the literary work and the new complex, three ponds will be built on the square, and its surface will be revived by greenery and picturesquely located ramps and stairs. But the main function of this recreational area is to hide a six-story shopping complex underneath. Sunlight will enter the underground shops through the glass bottoms of the ponds. The project also provides for one more "attraction", in this case not related to trade: escalators will pass through the reservoirs, rising to the middle of the facades of the towers. At this height, three “buildings in a building” will be arranged in special niches: the history pavilion, designed by Stephen Hall, the Du Fu pavilion by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, and the high-tech pavilion by the American architect Lebbeus Woods.
The complex will qualify for a gold certificate of the American LEED green architecture assessment system thanks to the use of a geothermal climate control system, energy-efficient glazing, resource-saving equipment and other similar techniques.
