Longhua Airport of the 1930s, which until 1948 was the only civilian airport in Shanghai, served until 2011, and then its territory began to turn, like other industrial zones in the central parts of the city, into a mixed development area. In this case, it was about the banks of the Huangpu River in Xuhui District. The runway stretches along its bed: by the efforts of the international design bureau Sasaki, it has now been turned into a linear park, combined with a city street.
Designers call their work “the runway for modern life”: the theme of flight, which is both historical and forward-looking, is central to the park. We are talking about an elongated area of 14.63 hectares and a size of 1,830 mx 80 m. It is divided into longitudinal zones for pedestrians, cyclists and cars, and in the latter case, public transport is preferred. These stripes are separated by lines of deciduous trees, giving each part a more intimate scale and reminding the townspeople of the changing seasons. For pedestrians and cyclists, hills have been made here and there, from which you can look around the park and remember the planes that took off here.
One of the pedestrian paths was made from a preserved fragment of the runway (width 3.6 m), where there were also traces of the markings. But most of the rest of the flooring could not be left as is, so it had to be used either as an asymmetric paving tile or to make garden furniture. The rest of this furniture is made of architectural concrete: like LED lights, its shape should resemble parts of an airplane. Bamboo-based engineering wood is also widely used as an environmentally friendly alternative to hardwood.
The main lawn can accommodate a concert for 3,500 people or five one-time football matches with teams of 5 players. The "drowned" garden near the metro station is designed for 900 spectators, and in the rest of the park, if there are restaurants and other infrastructure, it is possible to arrange corporate parties and similar small celebrations, which is convenient for employees of the surrounding office complexes.
Particular attention is paid to the management and treatment of rainwater. In the north there is a special garden (5760 m2), in the south - a wetland (8107 m2). There is also a roadside "rain" garden, the first in Shanghai. After treatment in these natural "treatment plants" and in a special reservoir, rainwater flows into an underground cistern for almost 40 m3. Its volume will be enough to irrigate almost two hectares or to fully provide the runway with water for the Fontana (it feeds exclusively on rainwater, unlike others in the park).
All planted plants (82 species) belong to the flora of the Yangtze Delta. These include 2,227 trees, among which the tripartite maple plays a significant role for the park. 68% of the paving is shaded by trees, which reduces the heat island effect. The “land” plants are used to make up a birdwatching grove, a butterfly garden, a fragrance garden, and aquatic plants fill the swampy and “coastal” areas.
