Poly Moonlight Bay: A Modern Interpretation of Traditional Chinese Gardens

Reviving the Human-Nature Connection in Urban Landscapes

The design area, located on the edge of a residential block, includes apartments and a selling center, which will be repurposed into a community center once the apartments are sold. The site is surrounded by natural features including a river and a park, and the landscape design connects the block to the main road passing alongside it. The design language is based on organic behavior, integrating the architecture of the block with its natural context and connecting the residential site to the city in a unique way.

Poly Moonlight Bay's unique properties include a bamboo forest, flower forest, foggy forest, dry creek, ripple, and many other landscaping design elements. These elements create a journey for the user, taking them to different depths of the space within an internal organization system. The design offers a different lifestyle, promoting a close relationship with nature rather than isolation in a typical urban life.

The project was realized using materials such as wood, perforated metal sheet, stone, and concrete. Covering an area of 23138 square meters, the project was designed and built during 2018-19 in Foshan, Guangdong. The design team included landscape designers Chen Yonglun, Han Qingchou, Liu Hengyi, Zhang Xiqian, Zhu Wenting, Zhong Quan, design director Yu Ding, and design chief Paul Bo Peng.

The project provides a continuous experience of walking in nature, mediating between urban life and the natural environment. Through a set of mountainous elements, the community center building is connected to the courtyard, creating a pleasant space of meditation using a modern design language. The undulating surfaces allow pedestrians to capture different views, building multiple kinds of visual connectivity within the garden and offering a dynamic spatial experience.

The design was inspired by the relationship between figure and garden in a traditional Chinese garden, but reinterpreted into a more contemporary design language. The project faced creative challenges in maximizing the diversity and flexibility of a housing garden, and used different techniques to achieve this. Poly Moonlight Bay was awarded Silver in A' Landscape Planning and Garden Design Award in 2020, a testament to its innovative and remarkable design.