Merit Award in Urban Design – Wuxi Railway Station South Masterplanning and Urban Regeneration by AECOM
Wuxi Railway Station is a historic station situated at the intersection of the hundred-year-old Rail Line and the thousand-year-old Grand Canal. It also played a vital role for Wuxi as an urban gateway into the city center. It was a central place for social gatherings, trade, and entertainment. Since the establishment of the high-speed railway network in China in 2010, city stations like Wuxi Railway Station have transformed into isolated islands,
which brings in certain negative effects. The vision is to transform the area from a stopover for travelers to its original positioning as a vibrant, multi-functional space that is enjoyable, user-friendly, and humane for all citizens. There are three urban regeneration strategies for the area:
- Consistent pedestrian passages re-connect the station to the canal. The station is connected to the canal multi-dimensionally through programmed passages, corridors, and open spaces; landscape and
public art improvements enhance the pedestrian experience. - Integrated open space networks re-integrate the canal into the city. The continuous waterfront improvement reconnects the canal to the city through a park network stretching out into the city core.
- Diverse waterfront functions & lifestyles re-vitalize the city. Urban revitalization through big and micro regenerations by introducing new functions and programs into the existing urban fabric with
cautious demolition.
Credits
Design Architects: Kok Yun Chan, Tsengwei Chung, Chao Zheng, Li’na Xie, Ji Chen, Peng Yue, Jun Zhu, Xing Cheng, Xiaoli Ma, YuWang, Letao zhang, shufan Zhang, Xiaoyue Xu, Qin Liu,, Kun Wu, Peishan Lun, Qiuya Yu
Owner: Wuxi City Investment Liangxi Development Co., Ltd. （无锡城建梁溪发展有限公司）
