Evergrande Huazhi Plaza

Evergrande Huazhi Plaza is a mixed-use development located at the centre of Chengdu, comprising retail, office, hotel and residential buildings. The shopping mall (The ONE), office (Evergrande Huazhi Office Tower) and hotel (The St. Regis Chengdu) are already in operation. The project is located at a site that is well recognised by the locals, and is considered as the main retail district along Chunxi Road. The district government plans to revitalise the old city and this project site will be the core of the new central business district of Qingyang District. The site takes up a whole city block of 250 metres by 150 metres, and is bounded by Taisheng South Road and Tidu Road.

DESIGN CONCEPT
All buildings within the plaza reveal elements of the natural landscape of Sichuan. Huanglong is a scenic spot in the Sichuan province known for colourful pools formed by calcite deposits. The architecture drew inspiration from natural terraced pools to give a regional character to the commercial complex, a balance between form and function, and to create an urban oasis within the vibrant city centre. The four towers are located and orientated in a way to encourage movement and dynamics around the spine with maximised views. The façade design gives a distinct character to each of the towers and yet unifies them in a harmonious way. The hotel tower on the east and office tower on the west form a gateway to the development and drive human traffic to The ONE.

THE ONE
The ONE is the retail component of the development. The six-storey shopping centre offers 72,000 square metres of interior retail space and the 6.45-metre floor-to-floor height allows for maximum flexibility for different arrangements of trade-mix. Its architectural form, space and materials drew inspiration from the rock pools of Jiuzhaigou Valley. The earth tone granite with random patterns and texture mimic the rocky element of the natural terrain into the façade design. The architecture incorporates a series of staggering terraces at varying heights into the interior space, creating a fluid form and architectural space aligned with the overall design of the development.

Along the main street of Taisheng South Road, an array of duplex shops with 12-metre-high, clear glass shopfronts is designed for flagship stores. Above these is a cinema, which is accessible from the outdoor terraces and indoor shopping mall. There is a green spine with outdoor escalators and staircases to link up the landscaped terraces on different levels and connect the northern and southern entrance plazas, drawing people from the ground level to the central piazza on the fourth floor. Underneath this gathering place is a central grand atrium with a sculptural skylight and elevators protruding over the piazza. The green spine also blurs the boundaries between indoor shopping mall and outdoor retail streets. Such a spatial design reflects the city’s indigenous, outdoor and leisurely lifestyle—providing outdoor terraces for al fresco dining and pubs, and creating an urban park for the community.

EVERGRANDE HUAZHI OFFICE TOWER
The 36-storey office tower offers Super Grade A office spaces. It adopts a unitised curtain wall. The glass façade is a distinct feature that spreads out at the bottom of the building to form an entrance canopy. The entrance lobby is designed with sculptures, a green wall and water features, echoing the verticality and faceted elements of the architecture.

THE ST. REGIS CHENGDU
The hotel is located at the southeast corner of the site, facing the entrance plaza at the major crossroad of the city, offering city views from the guestrooms. Together with the tower on the west, they form the entrance gateway that leads to the shopping centre at the heart of the site. The hotel has an elegant façade design. Warm toned materials such as Brazilian granite, timberpatterned architectural features and pearl white window mullions were used to offer welcoming hospitality. The curtain wall system uses glass and granite as two key materials. The combination of these two elements transforms the hotel tower into an architectural metaphor of mountain and waterfall.