Fengming Mountain Park, a Dynamic Urban Experience with Unique Elements of Color

Fengming Mountain Park, by Martha Schwartz Partners, in Chongqing, China. Fengming Mountain Park is the kind of project that was meant to draw attention to the nearby development structures, but managed to attract visitors with its unique elements. Located in the Shapingba District of Chongqing, Fengming Mountain Park covers a surface of 16 hectares and bears the signature trademark of Martha Schwartz Partners, being commissioned by Vanke. The talented team has managed to take a space that was bleak and transform it into a genuinely dynamic urban experience, with amazing splashes of color. The project was completed in 2013 and it represented a definite success for the professional team of landscape architects.

Fengming Mountain Park

What Was the Original Idea Behind Fengming Mountain Park? The area occupied by this park reaches as far as an old housing quarter in the Shapingba district, surrounded on all sides by important roads such as the Fengxi Road, where one will also find the main entrance into the park. The original idea behind this project was to draw attention to the Vanke Golden City Development sales center, allowing visitors to enjoy unique and dynamic elements in the park at the same time. The team of landscape architects worked on this beautiful project, managing to go beyond the original idea and create a splendid space of urban living.

What Are the Unique Elements of This Project? Given the complexity of elements chosen for this project, it should come as no surprise that visitors can actually enjoy a dynamic experience when coming to Fengming Mountain Park. The choices included not only the mountain-shaped follies, but also elegant and carefully placed plazas, a splendid choice of greenery, and the most amazing water elements. It seems that every element has been chosen for its uniqueness, managing at the same time to draw attention to the closely located development project. The Topography of the Site While the mountain-shaped follies represent the most dynamic elements, special pathways have been created in order to facilitate the movement of visitors coming to the park. The topography of the entire area has been designed so as to facilitate the movement of vehicles, as well. Basically, vehicles can go directly from the car park to the sales center. Related Articles: 

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An Entrance That Sucks you in Apart from the mountain follies or pavilions, one can instantly fall in love with the wonderful zigzag paths and the amazing colors that have been used for this project. Even the entrance into the park is lined with vivid shades of red and orange, the sculptures being strategically placed so as to draw visitors to the park. Multi-Functional Sculptures  The mountain pavilions are visible throughout the entire park, resembling a series of mountain shapes that have a pleasant aesthetic value. Plus, each pavilion serves a double purpose, providing shade during hot summer days and a beautiful glowing effect during the night. In fact, one can easily compare these strategically placed pavilions with the Chinese lanterns everyone knows and loves. Urban Identity Expressed Through a Series of Elegant Features Fengming Mountain Park has been designed with the concept of urban identity in mind. The team of architects working on the project has taken into consideration the future development and how this urban space is going to serve visitors not only in the present, but also in the future. For such purposes, they wanted to give elegant features to this park – moving on from the pavilions, zigzag paths were added and visitors can identify a beautiful geological pattern while visiting this park. A Point of Interest at Every Turn Each walking trail has been equipped with a platform from which people can enjoy the entire landscape. Dark concrete has been used for the making of balustrade walls that surround the paths, the rocky silhouettes adding even more elegance to the space. Everywhere you turn, you have a wonderful blend between nature and abstract elements, between static and dynamic features. Water is an Integrated Part of the Whole Dynamic of the Park It is a known fact that water elements often add a dynamic vibe to any project. With Fengming Mountain Park, you get to see water elements presented in the most diverse ways. Visitors can enjoy a wealth of water effects, including stream channels, small pools, and water jets. People are drawn not only by the cooling effect of the water, but also by the wonderful sounds and atmosphere created with the help of these water elements. All in all, water is responsible for making this unique landscape even more captivating. There are not many parks out there that can deliver an experience as dynamic as the one of Fengming Mountain Park. Visitors are guided through a unique journey, discovering mountain peaks, zigzagging pathways, and water features before reaching their final destination — the Sales Center. Talk about China and its ever-changing landscapes! Design Team: Martha Schwartz, Nigel Koch, Jasmine Ong, Christabel Lee, Aigars Lauzis, Ignacio Lopez-Buson, Ceylan Belek-Ombregt, Markus Jatsch and Gilles de Wever Recommended Reading:

• 100 Landmarks of the World: A Journey to the Most Fascinating Landmarks Around the Globe by Parragon Books
• Public Art: Theory, Practice and Populism by Cher Krause Knight

Article by Alexandra Antipa Return to Homepage

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