Aedas' Innovative Xinhua Bookstore Group Mixed-use Project

Blending Natural Elements and Cultural Innovation in Chongqing

The project, known as the Xinhua Bookstore Group Mixed-use Project, is a dynamic complex located in the Jiefangbei Central Business District, the heart of downtown Chongqing. It features a sky cultural plaza, retail spaces, apartments, offices, a boutique hotel, and the most widespread chained bookstore, Xinhua Bookstore. The design unfolds stepping terraces that not only reveal the well-known geographic beauty of Chongqing, also known as the 'Mountain City', but also interact with the surroundings and rejuvenate the city landscape.

What sets this design apart from others is its sustainable considerations. Aedas used a double layer curtain with perforated metal and glass to reduce solar heating. The area of glass curtains was strictly calculated and controlled. The firm also designed a bespoke integrated natural lighting and ventilation system for this project. The glass panels ensure natural lighting, and behind the perforated aluminum panels is the concealed open window ventilation system.

The project, which spans 138,158 sqm, was brought to life by Andy Wen and Keith Griffiths from Aedas. Three distinctively themed plazas are connected with the street and green terraces by a grand express escalator. The Sky Cultural and Sky Entertainment Plazas at the podium have become a new destination. The outdoor mountain features terrace for dining brings indigenous, leisurely lifestyle. An ecological sky garden is located at the 12th floor to reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in CBD. The offices and sky restaurant located at the top of the tower extends the stepped feature of the podium.

The project was not without its challenges. The site's existing commercial typology lacked variety, and the CBD buildings were too closed off to be accessed by citizens. Aedas had to invent a new commercial typology and encourage customers to travel on an upward journey. The result was the 'Xinhua book store + retail space', a brand new commercial typology of culture and retail as core in CBD.

The Xinhua Bookstore Group Mixed-use Project has been recognized for its innovative design and received the Platinum A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2017. This award recognizes world-class, exceptional, and highly innovative designs that showcase unmatched professionalism, genius, and contribute to societal wellbeing.