Sydney, Australia – McGregor Coxall have been awarded as one of two winners for the Danaoke Mountain Park International Design Competition in Shenzhen alongside landscape architecture competitors Atelier LOIDL + Schlaich Bergermann (Germany). The winning firms will now progress onto developing the scheme in collaboration. Shortlisted teams into the competition included Turenscape (China), Andropogon (USA) and Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl (Netherlands). The McGregor Coxall entry was a collaborative effort between the Shanghai and Sydney studios involving the landscape architecture, environment and urbanism disciplines.
The competition sought masterplanning proposals for a 500 hectare mountain park in central Shenzhen China. The masterplan proposes a ‘Parkland Triangle’ which unites the three majestic mountain peaks of Danaoke, Huangzhu and Lianhua at the geographic centre of the city aligned to its cultural axis. The new park also integrates an adjacent tech campus and high density housing.
The steep geology of Danaoke Mountain underlies a wild landscape. Ancient forests and ecologies provide a range of natural environments to explore. Nature provides the back drop for a diverse range of planned active eco-adventures. At the heart of the park lies the Danaoke Mountain Base containing the Mountain Base Hub, Park Ranger Headquarters, Sports Park and Urban Park. Offering a range of playground and recreation facilities in an urban setting, the hub is a vibrant home for an eclectic mix of activities and cultural events. At night restaurants, cafés, bars and shops come alive with sports, live music, biking action and stunning sights to enjoy with family and friends. Buildings utilise pioneering sustainability techniques including solar glass and passive ventilation. A wetland, urban pond and WSUD system collects all urban runoff from the site for bio-filtration and reuse in the buildings and landscape irrigation demonstrating Sponge City principles.
The Danaoke Gondola lifts sightseers, walkers, hikers and mountain bikers to the 360 metres high peak. Boasting a gondola accessed network of trails for walking and hiking of more than 40 kilometres, Danaoke Mountain park offers over 20 different walks and hikes for experiencing the stunning scenery of Shenzhen. The top station of the Gondola has a Forest Flyer Zipline that drops more than 300 metres over the forest to the lake below. The trail network has a range of attractions including camping sites, suspension bridges, raised boardwalks, rest points and scenic lookouts. Adding to the adventure spirit of the park 5 kilometres of lift accessed downhill gravity Mountain Bike Trails are provided. An MTB Terrain Park plus a BMX Pump Track to suit every skill level and age is located on the disused motorway construction area.
