Just off the Chinese coast of Hainan sits a large patch of brown earth breaking up an otherwise uniform stretch of blue water. While it may be a bit of an eyesore right now, the island, which is named South Sea Pearl Eco-Island, is destined to become a 250 hectare tourist destination complete with homes, hotels, attractions, and a port with enough space for two cruise ships to dock.
But that all comes later.
Right now, the island is as empty as a promise from Charles Ponzi or one of this year’s presidential candidates, and before any construction can actually begin, it needs to be determined who will design the master plan that will transform the island. As ArchDaily reports, that’s where Hainan Airlines Group’s international design competition comes into play.
The competition has been organized by China Building Center, which has selected former Chief Architect of Barcelona and Director of Guallart Architects, Vicente Guallart, to develop the strategic vision for the island. The goal is to create an urban development using the best available technologies with a focus on ecological principles to make a landmark for new urbanism in China, according to Guallart.
10 firms will present submissions and a winner will be selected by a jury comprising Aaron Betsky, Benedetta Tagliabue, Donald Bates, Sergey Kuznetsov, Peter Poulet, Horacio Werner, and Margarita Jover during the last week of August.
The 10 competing firms are:
- Foster + Partners
- Morphosis Architects
- Office of Architecture in Barcelona Carlos Ferrater Partnership
- Diller Scofidio + Renfrom
- IROJE Architects & Planners
- UNStudio
- KuiperCompagnons
- The Jerde Partnership Inc.
- CCDI
- Boston International Design Group, LLC
After the selection is made, construction on the island is expected to start in 2017. A tentative completion date of 2027 has also been set. Additionally, South Sea Pearl Eco-Island may not be a solitary development. Studies are currently underway to evaluate the region for other possible man made islands and existing islands off the coast of Hainan may follow the lead of South Sea Pearl Eco-Island and become more tourist-oriented.
Related Stories
| Jan 6, 2015
Snøhetta unveils design proposal of the Barack Obama Presidential Center Library for the University of Hawaii
The plan by Snøhetta and WCIT Architecture features a building that appears square from the outside, but opens at one corner into a rounded courtyard with a pool, Dezeen reports.
| Jan 5, 2015
Another billionaire sports club owner plans to build a football stadium in Los Angeles
Kroenke Group is the latest in a series of high-profile investors that want to bring back pro football to the City of Lights.
| Jan 5, 2015
Beyond training: How locker rooms are becoming more like living rooms
Despite having common elements—lockers for personal gear and high-quality sound systems—the real challenge when designing locker rooms is creating a space that reflects the attitude of the team, writes SRG Partnership's Aaron Pleskac.
| Jan 2, 2015
Illustrations of classic architecture bring in the new year with style
New York-based designer Xinran Ma has illustrated a New Year's greeting card that assembles pieces of various brutalist and modernist architecture.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 30, 2014
A simplified arena concept for NBA’s Warriors creates interest
The Golden State Warriors, currently the team with the best record in the National Basketball Association, looks like it could finally get a new arena.
| Dec 30, 2014
The future of healthcare facilities: new products, changing delivery models, and strategic relationships
Healthcare continues to shift toward Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley as it revamps business practices to focus on consumerism and efficiency, writes CBRE Healthcare's Patrick Duke.
| Dec 29, 2014
High-strength aluminum footbridge designed to withstand deep-ocean movement, high wind speeds [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The metal’s flexibility makes the difference in an oil rig footbridge connecting platforms in the West Philippine Sea. The design solution was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
HDR and Hill International to turn three floors of a jail into a modern, secure healthcare center [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
By bringing healthcare services in house, Dallas County Jail will greatly minimize the security risk and added cost of transferring ill or injured prisoners to a nearby hospital. The project was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
New mobile unit takes the worry out of equipment sterilization during healthcare construction [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
Infection control, a constant worry for hospital administrators and clinical staffs, is heightened when the hospital is undergoing a major construction project. Mobile Sterilization Solutions, a mobile sterile-processing department, is designed to simplify the task. The technology was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
