East Dike Shenzhen’s demonstration zone by KCAP+FELIXX open to public

The city entrance of Amersfoort is being transformed into a green boulevard with remarkable building ensembles alongside. The development plan by KCAP already radically improved the post-war neighborhoods by connecting them safely with a grade separated crossing, with an outstanding swim and sports complex from VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism. When fully realized, the plan delivers about 820 much-needed residences, of which a large part are affordable. With the recent delivery of 165 houses by de Alliantie and Moke Architecten, the eastern composition of 4 towers is now completed! Along the Valleikanaal an ecological park designed by MTD Landschapsarchitecten is realized which extends onto the green decks between the towers. The project is part of a comprehensive approach by de Alliantie and Gemeente Amersfoort to improve and renew these neighborhoods into vibrant and livable city districts for Amersfoort.  You can find a video on the construction process here.

Very proud that our Triple-Dike project in Shenzhen (CN) won third prize at Rethinking The Future 2021!Team KCAP+Felixx developed a new dike typology considering the local and social context of the existing coastal communities. The project integrates water safety strategies with ecological shoreline restoration, seawall construction, landscape, and public space remodeling. It recreates the tourism identity of Dapeng and promotes local economic development. On the premise of ecology and safety, it combines local culture with the geographical environment and shows the coastline's beauty and diversity.According to the jury, East Dike is "a visionary project" and is "[…] defining new architectural language[…]".Congratulations to our clients and collaborators: Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners, Deltares, Hope Landscape & Architecture, and China Water Transport Planning & Design Institute

Together with Lay-Out Planning Consultant and Power China Huadong Engineering, KCAP has been selected as one of the five shortlisted teams in the international competition for the Upgrading and Reconstruction Planning of Qiantang Dyke and Shoreline in Hangzhou, China. Hangzhou, the Zhejiang Province's capital in the east-southern part of China, is situated downstream of the Qiantang River at the Hangzhou Bay. The Qiantang River is the "mother river" that witnessed the changes over thousand years in Hangzhou, from a traditional and prosperous Chinese waterfront city ("jiangnan") to become the hometown of Alibaba, one of the most innovative cities in the world. Together with the rivers Ganges and Amazon, Qiantang is also one of the world's three major tidal rivers with unique hydrological characteristics.   Hangzhou's urban development strategy has changed over time and is now looking into the Qiantang River as the core public and innovation spine for the metropole's future development. The project is carried out by Hangzhou's government to collect inspirations to upgrade Qiantang River's dyke and shoreline to achieve a worldwide outstanding waterfront. All with careful consideration of its safety, ecology, openness, vitality, charm, and smart value in mind. Based on the Dutch DNA regarding water management and the successful practice of East Dike resilient triple dike system design in Shenzhen, our multidisciplinary team is honoured and excited to be involved in this task to reshape the future of the Qiantang River and Hangzhou. The conceptual design stage will be completed in May 2021 - fingers crossed! Images: Bizhizu, Hangzhou Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, Zhongqi Kong

Together with Suyi Design and Urban Planning Institute of Nanjing University, KCAP has been selected as one of five shortlisted teams out of 40 for the international competition of Zijin Mountain and XuanWu Lake urban design in Nanjing, China. Nanjing, situated in the Yangtze River Delta region and today the capital of Jiangsu province, has a long and rich history. As the capital of multiple dynasties, Nanjing is one of China's Four Great Ancient Capitals. Zijin Mountain is famous for its royal cemetery, listed as world cultural heritage with other royal cemeteries from the dynasties Ming and Qing. XuanWu Lake is a popular park and the most significant Royal Garden in China. The meaning and symbolism of Zijin Mountain and XuanWu Lake's natural elements have changed during the time. That made the competition very exciting for KCAP. How could we develop a new identity for Nanjing from these two elements of a famous and historically loaded cultural landscape, opening it up to the citizens? And how to do this fulfilling the requirements of the ecological-based development movement throughout China? Our multidisciplinary team is honored to work on this exciting task and will complete the design by April 2021. Aerial image: @2021千图网

Earlier this month, we received the gold certificate of the Eurasian Award for East Dike Shenzhen, our shared project with Felixx Landscape architects and planners.For eighteen kilometers of coastline, KCAP+Felixx developed a multifaceted dike system, the ‘triple dike strategy’. The design is an integrated approach towards the climate adaptive reorganization of the shore. Water safety strategies are connected to eco-development and nature restoration to create a resilient framework for social and economic growth in the area. In May 2020 the demonstration zone at Yangmeikeng was taken into use. The entire redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2021.The project has already received a lot of international recognition and was often shortlisted. We are happy to see it now winning in the Urban Development category of the Eurasian Awards 2020. Find out more about the project.

KCAP and Orange Architects are working in a consortium with A.Len Architectural Bureau in St. Petersburg, Russia, to transform a former railway yard on Ligovsky Prospekt into a new residential district with communal facilities, retail and extensive greenery. Linear parks and landscaped boulevards that follow the historical railway tracks are at the origin of the new urban framework and will offer the backdrop for a high quality living environment, where the buildings are characterized by industrial aesthetics. KCAP+ORANGE Architects in consortium with A.Len Architectural Bureau prepared a proposal for the territory planning of the former Tovarno-Vitebskaya railway yard in the south-eastern part of the grey belt of St. Petersburg. This project is a continuation of the Glorax Development's Ligovsky City neighborhood development project, where the first residential complex is already in operation while the second one is nearing completion. The area under consideration, 30 hectares, is well connected to city. In the North, in close proximity to the site, is planned to build a metro station "Borovaya". The global goal of the project is to create a new attractive residential district of St. Petersburg, designed for 8600 people, with its own commercial and social infrastructure. The plans include restaurants, cafes, leisure facilities, street retail, service companies, sports facilities, four kindergartens, one primary and one secondary school, underground and surface parking lots. The Chairman of the City Planning Council, V. Grigoriev, defined the project as a positive example of resuming international design in the city: “The participation of renowned architects from all over the world has always contributed to the development of St. Petersburg.” The carefully planned intervention is an adaptive re-use that promotes new urban life, based on a mix of historical and modern structures and on the contrast between large and small scale solutions. The industrial morphology of the area, with the rails ...

Last week, the demonstration zone of East Dike Shenzhen was officially opened by Mr. Huang Min, vice mayor of Shenzhen, accompanied by Mr. Zhang Liwei, head of the Water Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality. As from May 1st , the demonstration zone is open to the public, welcoming visitors and serving local residents. East Dike is located in Dapeng, a mountainous peninsula in the direct proximity of Hongkong and Shenzhen. In 2018, the typhoon Mangkhut damaged the coastline to various degrees. In 2019, team KCAP+FELIXX has been selected to develop the plans, restore the coastline and raise protection standards. With the ‘Triple Dike strategy’, the team developed an integrated approach towards the climate adaptive reorganization of the 130 kilometer long shore. In the concept, water safety strategies are connected to eco-development and nature restoration and merged with social and economic growth. On a 500m long strip in Yangmeikeng, the performance of the proposed nature-based strategies for the sea wall are tested and materialization principles are explored and refined. The realization of this demonstration zone is the first milestone in the construction of 18 kilometers of embankment to be completed by 2021. Strategic projectsFor 6 villages along the shore, all originating from fishers’ communities, the strategy is turned into strategic design projects, creating unique and site-specific realms. The ‘Triple Dike’ is composed of three development zones, carefully embedded in the local conditions and responding to the specific future needs of every village. The small-scale identity will be protected and their different characteristics reinforced. Village Dongshan is situated in a quiet bay, allowing the embankment to be designed as a green park, merging the mountains and the sea. Guanhu is a creative and cultural district. The dike performs as a vivid green beach boulevard, a backbone that unites existing functions with new recreational facilities. Moonbay is ...

East Dike Shenzhen is shortlisted for the World Landscape Architecture Awards 2020, nominated as laureate in the Eurasian Prize 2019-2020, currently exhibited in Roca Gallery London’s exhibition 'Sea Change: Flood Resilient Architecture for the 21st Century' and selected for the ‘water as leverage’ exhibition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam up from September 2020! The project team enjoys the appreciation of the international experts and juries. Up from May 1st, the demonstration zone of Shenzhen’s Eastern seawall reconstruction project will be open to the public, welcoming visitors and serving local residents. We look forward to see and hear their responses too! East Dike is commissioned by the Shenzhen Water Bureau and designed by KCAP + Felixx in cooperation with China Resource Group, Hope Landscape & Architecture and China water transport planning & design institute.

The first 500m demonstration zone Yangmeikeng of East Dike Shenzhen is almost realized. It forms the base for the six strategic realization projects along the 18 km of coastal reinforcement that KCAP + Felixx  developed to restore the coastline of Shenzhen and raise protection standards against extreme weather. With the design competition just won in the summer of 2019, this partial completion is a great achievement by everyone involved! After the visit of our client Water Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality last weekend, final works are now being completed to be ready for the official opening to public on May 1st.

The construction of our East Dike project in Shenzhen is progressing rapidly. In order to ensure protection against storm surges in the near future, hard work has been done on site on the realisation of the primary flood defence wall. Only half a year after winning the design competition by KCAP + Felixx and in less than three months of construction work, the raw construction of the sea wall of the demonstration zone has already been completed. The project translates the necessity of coastal protection into development potential. Thus the multifunctional structure safeguards and reinforces the ecological value and identity of identified subareas of the Dapeng peninsula.

KCAP, in collaboration with Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl, designed an ecological masterplan for Jinan's Southern Mountain area in norther China. Its purpose is to restore and protect the mountainous geological structure and ecology of the region. Protection is vital because the Southern Mountains are the source of the famous Jinan springs. Also, they contain several drinking water reservoirs and functions as the green sanctuary of the city.  As a strategy to restore and protect water resources, the masterplan provides ecologically orientated development of cities, mobility, agriculture, economy and tourism in the area. The plan has been approved by the municipality of Jinan. The Southern Mountains in Shandong is a mountain area of 600 km2. North lies Shandong’s capital Jinan. The historic centre of the city is known for over seventy natural artesian springs. South of the mountains lies the holy Thaisan mountain, as the first of the five holy mountains, where Chinese emperors through the ages took the 6293 stairs to the top to bring offers to their god at the start of their reign. In between mountain ranges, separated by three larger valleys, the landscape and water resources over the years became gradually more polluted by agriculture and urbanization. Also, the underground water systems became congested, which was a growing problem not just for water supply and environment in general, but especially for the city of Jinan. The city wants to be recognized as world heritage by UNESCO for their historic city centre and over seventy-two artesian springs. It was a necessity to restore and protect the water systems at the source. The project has started with identifying ecological sensitive areas, elements and systems in order to layer them according to urgency, importance and threat. KCAP also calculated population and land capacity and locate potential areas where production and urban developments are ...

Construction work of our project East Dike in Shenzhen is progressing fast and the design is taking shape. Team KCAP + Felixx is supervising the construction process on site together with our client and LDI team. This week,  we were happy to welcome our client, the Water Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, lead by director Zhang and director Zhao, at the construction site of Yangmeikeng demonstration zone to present the work in progress. Meanwhile, the design of all six areas was presented to the representative committee of the Shenzhen People's Congress and Shenzhen Ocean Bureau. The design of those areas will now progress towards the final design stage. We are looking forward to see the finishing of the demonstration zone in Yangmeikeng in beginning 2020!!

The construction of Inntel Hotel Marina Beach The Hague has reached its highest point. This was officially celebrated on the construction site on November, 22nd. The 4-star hotel will become a new icon on Noordelijk Havenhoofd in Scheveningen. It rises on an important spot at the end of the beach boulevard where the boats from the sea enter Scheveningen harbour. On this all-sided location, the building symbolizes the movement of sails in the wind with its façade. From each perspective, it will show itself with a different shape and impression. Now the building height has been reached, works on the façade will follow. The hotel is estimated to be completed in 2021.

Our residential project OASSIS in Crissier is nearing completion fast. The facade of one building has been finished and the first apartments were delivered. The project is set in the heterogeneous and quickly developing outskirts of Lausanne with great views on Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. Final delivery of the project is scheduled for spring 2020. Time to celebrate!

KCAP + FELIXX have won the international competition for the redevelopment of the 130-kilometer coastline of Dapeng, a green peninsula in the bay between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. In September 2018, the typhoon Mangkhut damaged the infrastructure of the peninsula to various degrees. An international competition was launched to develop a plan to restore the coastline and raise protection standards against the more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events. KCAP+FELIXX developed the ‘Triple dike strategy’, a multifaceted dike system that allows for an integrated approach towards the climate adaptive reorganization of the shore.  Water safety strategies are connected to eco-development and nature restoration. This creates a resilient framework for social and economic growth. For 32 kilometers of coastline, KCAP + FELIXX is developing this concept into six strategic implementation projects. Realization starts this year, and is expected to be completed in 2021. TRIPLE DIKE The triple dike moves away from a generic protection wall along the coast, towards the creation of three development zones, carefully embedded in current conditions and responding to the specific future needs of every single area. The 1st ‘outer’ dike zone increases the resiliency through wave attenuation, erosion reduction and the enhancement of sedimentation. The 2nd ‘middle’ dike is an elevated embankment, to stop the storm surge and the water pushed up by the waves. It’s not a big wall but a multifunctional zone: an exciting hilly park, an elevated waterfront with urban promenades, a tidal park or even a public building. The 3rd ‘inner’ dike is a hybrid structure which manages the rainwater following the principle of a sponge city. All runoff from adjacent villages and mountains is buffered, delayed and temporarily stored in rain-parks, raingardens, wet forests, wetlands and green streets. A PRODUCTIVE RESILIENCE STRATEGY Dapeng is a mountainous peninsula with lush forests, intersected by riverbeds and creeks, ...

KCAP has presented an urban plan for the development of Futian. KCAP’s urban design vision proposes a strategy to turn Futian, Shenzhen’s City Centre into a vibrant urban city centre that can compete with the centres of other mega-cities. This challenge cannot be achieved by completely re-designing parts of the centre in a top-down way, but rather to implement customized local interventions as test-projects that can provide a direction for incremental urban transformation. The main theme of this overall urban design is the development of Futian from border city to open city, It focuses on how to promote Futians development into a more spatially and socially inclusive urban area through the optimization of road space and green structures, resulting in a more diverse and socio-economically resilient area. The biggest problem of Futian is that it is both very large and it consists of fragmented neighbourhoods of radically different character, separated by large car-oriented roads, that increase the segregation between districts and prevent the development of an inclusive and porous urban centre. At the same time, the larger road grid in Shenzhen forms a clear system of orientation that should not be abandoned but transformed. Hence, our design strategy transforms the functional areas that are isolated by the main roads to cross the physical boundaries that restrict them, and to soften the very rigid borders, so that economic activity in the various characteristic areas can radiate more freely to the surrounding areas, thereby promoting urban diversification and better supporting economies of scale. Additionally, it also proposes to create a large, comprehensive overall green & blue network of connecting public spaces, based on the current road network, that provides Futian a better base of orientation between the Mountain Ridge in the North, Shenzhen Bay and River in the South, and improve the definition towards the ...

  The new neighbourhood “Aeschbachquartier” in Aarau, a town with 22.000 inhabitants between Zurich and Bern, has been completed. KCAP Architects&Planners designed the masterplan of the neighbourhood and realized several buildings, Studio Vulkan planned and built the outdoor spaces. The Aeschbachquartier is a mixed quarter for living and working in a central location. Through its change of scale within the project, it mediates between the urban density at the railway station and the delicate, green residential neighbourhoods. The diversity of typologies, architectural designs and uses generates a dynamic location for a wide variety of user groups, residents and visitors to the city of Aarau. A prominent tower marks the entrance of the neighbourhood and of the Aeschbach promenade that leads between urban commercial and residential buildings to the central Oehlerpark. Along Aeschbachpromenade, the historic Aeschbachhalle is located, which was restored as an iconic neighbourhood centre and event location, and flanked with studios and urban lofts. Oehlerpark functions as a hinge to the purely residential areas of the project, which serve as a transition to the existing quarters with urban villas and terraced houses. The project was realised by real estate developer Mobimo. While all exterior spaces were designed by Studio Vulkan landscape architects, the architectural tasks were assigned to three different offices in order to guarantee the diversity of the neighbourhood. Schneider & Schneider Architekten designed and realised the symbolic GastroSocial Tower with the adjacent commercial building and four urban villas at the park. Gmür & Geschwentner are responsible for two residential and commercial buildings in the urban core, which they built together with Caretta & Gitz. The majority of the buildings are designed by KCAP, including the terraced houses and the urban villa in the south, the large urban villas by the park built with b+p baurealisation, and the renovation and extension ...

The Aeschbachquartier in Aarau, planned by KCAP Architects&Planners and Studio Vulkan Landschaftsarchitekten, was officially opened on April 4 by real estate developer Mobimo. Events for the public will take place on Saturday, 6 April. KCAP designed the master plan of the neighbourhood and realized most of the buildings, Studio Vulkan planned and executed the outdoor spaces. The Aeschbachquartier is a mixed residential and working neighbourhood in a central location. It bridges the gap between the urban density at the railway station and the delicate, green residential quarters. The diversity of typologies, architectural designs and uses generates a dynamic location for a wide variety of user groups, residents and visitors to the city of Aarau. A prominent tower marks the entrance to the quarter. The spacious Aeschbach promenade leads between urban commercial and residential buildings to the central Oehler Park. This functions as a hinge to the pure residential area and to the surrounding context. The park is bordered by a series of town villas, each of which houses several households, and in the background by terraced houses. The historic Aeschbachhalle is also located on the Aeschbachpromenade, restored as a quarter centre and event location and supplemented with studios and urban lofts. While the entire exterior spaces were designed by Studio Vulkan landscape architects, the architectural tasks were assigned to three different offices in order to guarantee the architectural diversity of the quarter. Schneider & Schneider Architects designed and realised the symbolic GastroSocial Tower with the adjacent commercial building and four city villas by the park. Gmür & Geschwentner are responsible for two residential and commercial buildings in the urban core. The majority of the buildings stem from by KCAP, including the terraced houses and the city villa in the background, the large city villas by the park and the renovation and extension ...

The building permit for The Student Hotel Delft is approved and the site preparations are starting. The construction of the hotel on this central location on the foresquare of Delft central ctation is an important step of the of the Nieuw Delft area development. The programming and open character of the building will make a great contribution to the liveliness of the area around the station. The Student Hotel is a hybrid hotel concept that combines high-quality hotel functions with high-quality short- and long-stay facilities, such as a gym, bar-restaurant, library, gaming and lounge areas, classrooms, meeting rooms and co-working areas. These functions are combined in a building ensemble consisting of a varied plinth volume with two towers on top. All public hotel functions are located on the ground floor, the hotel rooms on the upper floors.  

10 years after winning the competition (MEP) for 'Parc du Simplon' in Renens, the first buildings are standing and the construction of the appartements and offices is progressing quickly. The first inhabitants will soon be moving in. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) are transforming many station areas in Switzerland, one of which is in Renens-Entrepôts. The KCAP masterplan creates a mixed neighbourhood including apartments and office spaces, a high school, hospitality, and retail. While the school building is in service since September 2017, the former ‘silo bleu’ transformed into a student housing tower will welcome its first inhabitants in February. Now, also the construction of the residential and office buildings has started. Our masterplan creates two noise barriers; a row of office buildings towards the rail tracks, and long-drawn residential buildings with public ground floors towards the street. In between them, a series of urban villas is set in public and semi-public spaces. https://parc-du-simplon.ch/ http://silobleu.ch/de/  

Construction of block 6 of the Golden City in St. Petersburg is rising. Block 6 is one of the first two buildings within the masterplan ‘Golden City’ in St. Petersburg next to the International Sea Terminal designed by KCAP + Orange at Vasilievsky Island that is under construction. Block 7 has just had a sales kick-off of the apartments and design works on block 8 have started.    

KCAP joined as one of the speakers the Ningbo Sponge City Delegation Visit, organised by The Consulate General of the Netherlands in Shanghai last week. Ningbo, a large, rapidly growing port city in the eastern part of China, is hoping to transform 25% of its area into a Sponge City by the year 2020. With cities getting bigger and climate change threatening to bring more extreme weather, sponge cities may be an interesting solution. They are a so-called reimagination of the urban environment where almost every raindrop is captured, controlled and reused. Instead of funneling rainwater away, a sponge city retains it for use within its own boundaries. KCAP, being a Dutch company with rich experience on waterfront planning and urban transformation, was therefore invited to share our projects and exchange our ideas with local government. Approximately 171 Sponge-City projects with different focuses, such as Sponge-City Neighourhood, Sponge-City Road and Square Design, Sponge-City Parks and Green Spaces, Water and Ecology Restoration, Flood Control and Drainage, Building Capacity etc. will be implemented in China in the coming three years. Six other Dutch companies were also invited to express their thoughts on the subject.  

Ya-Hsin Chen, associate and chief representative of KCAP Shanghai, was one of the speakers at the 2-day event ‘Sino Dutch Sponge City Seminar’ in Zhuhai in June, co-organized by Embassy of the Netherlands in China, Zhuhai Housing and the Urban-Rural Planning & Development Bureau. KCAP and four other Dutch architects' offices, including Arcadis, Deltares, KuiperCompagnons and OMA, were invited to share their visions and experience about water and city. HafenCity and Bao'An were presented as two KCAP showcase projects of our approach towards new water cities.      

New images have been taken which document the current status of KCAP's urban plan for Trinity Shenyang, a new urban district for living, working  and communal facilities. The 70 ha site, around 6 km from Shenyang centre, was a mainly rural territory and occupied with temporary settlements. Towards the North, the area is bounded by the river Hun, towards the South by the third ring road and the adjacent university. This project for the Trinity site is integrated in an overarching masterplan for the entire left bank of Shenyang, envisioning the development of a 8 km ‘linear city’ parallel with the river. Like Shanghai and Rotterdam, Shenyang ‘jumps’ over the river establishing urban life and multiple centres on both sides of the river. The river Hun will transform from being an edge into a ‘green’ center.The masterplan is based strategically on the proximity and relation of the area to the river and on being a self-determining village. The plan defines three centers and two landscape axis. It maximises the outward orientation of the commercial and business facilities. Within this main frame, a archipelago of districts, each of which with its own subcentre, are the founding principles of the urban concept. The plan is being constructed since 2008 and the last phase is heading towards completion.

KCAP has been selected as finalist in the second stage of the competition JinShan Waterfront in Shanghai. The competition is for a 580ha new town development along the 23 km2 sea coast in the south of Shanghai facing Hangzhou Bay. The first stage was an open competition, in which from 120 entries 5 teams have been selected: GALA GROUP ARTE CHARPENTIER AMA & RICHEZ ASSOCIATES RMJM ARCHITECTS&PLANNERS KCAP ARCHITECTS&PLANNERS The kick-off meeting and contract signing ceremony was held on May 28th in Jinshan District Government.

On March 25th, KCAP was invited to host a design salon at the Dutch Consulate in Chongqing. The aim was to share KCAP's experience and discuss the future possibilities of Chongqing’s city development by having a dialogue with local stakeholders, developers and representatives of the Chongqing University. The event was planned as a first session with more to follow. The next Design Salon is will take place in the summer.

Irma van Oort and Mark Dekker are delegates of the economic mission with Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan to Vietnam, from December 7 to 11.  

KCAP in cooperation with Atelier Dreiseitl and the Nanchang Planning Institute Consortium, has been selected as one of three designers for the Nanchang Riverbank design. The other competitors are: Guangzhou Urban Planning Survey Design Institute + USA SWA GROUP Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning Design Institute

KCAP was one of the experts in a seminar session organized by ReadatChina, supported by the Dutch Consulate of Shanghai and hosted by Yurun Group about the development of commercial complexes in 4th and 5th tier Chinese cities. The seminar was attended by local developers, representatives of Yurun group and ReadatChina and some local design institutes (LDI).  

After the delivery of the first two buildings of the China Media Park in Qingdao [CN] earlier this year (see below), the next 4 buildings are almost ready. This building is a combination of 'loft' and 'soho' units on two floors of commercial plinth. The elevation is a dynamic pattern of perforated and non perforated aluminium panels to hide the individual aircon units. The China Media Park in Qingdao is a urban creative cluster for the advertising, media, film and communication industries. The 30 ha site is located in Qingdao’s Chenyang district, strategically located near the Qingdao airport. The design connects a wide variety of different places, programs and conditions surrounding the site. Many existing centralities in the vicinity of the site are currently disconnected neighbors and by becoming an integral element of its surroundings, or even more, a driver of the urban regeneration, the project will equally contribute to the evaluation of its success and determine the project’s future. The proposal helps to (re)activate and connect all the assets from its vicinity into a functional and high quality urban space, able to become a recognizable destination in Qingdao.

Nice picture of KCAP's office space in the Anken Green Building where KCAP Shanghai is located since February 1st. Address: 1B room, 1st floor 668 Huai An Road, Jing’an DistrictShanghai, China, 200041 T: +86 21 6180 8177 shanghai@kcap.eu

The team KCAP together with LAY-OUT, Shenzhen and Atelier Dreiseitl, Beijing is one of 8 shortlisted competitors of the Bao'An West Coastal Zone competition. Bao'An Coastal zone is located in the west of Shenzhen and at the east side of the Lingdingyang Bay, the mouth for Pearl River enering the sea. The coastline to be planned comprises of 45 kilometers, which is a fifth of the 248 km of Shenzhen’s coastlines. It is an important part of Shenzhen’s city public coastlines and contains multiple spatial patterns including formed natural coastlines, inner bays, tidal flats, a peninsula and an offshore island. The area contains Shenzhen Bao'An Airport, major ports, terminals and other transportation and production facilities. Within the development strategy of ‘three zones, two hearts and one valley’ it is ultimately about building an international coastal city. The designs have to be submitted in the middle of July, a jury result is expected by the end of July.  

Today is the official opening of the Dutch Design Exhibition at the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts in Wuhan. Several Dutch design related companies, including KCAP, are showcasing their work. The exhibition is part of the Dutch Days in Wuhan that are being held from April 5 - 26.    

On January 30th, China celebrates the start of the new year. We wish everyone a Happy New Year of the Horse! KCAP Shanghai will start the new year in a new office location. Our new address as of February 1, 2014 is:KCAP Shanghai1B room, 1st floor668 Huai An Road, Jing’an District,Shanghai, China, 200041T: +86 21 6180 8177shanghai@kcap.eu

Recently, the Selling Center of the VankePark project in Shanghai was opened. This building is the first of in total 32 buildings, all designed by KCAP Architects&Planners. The construction of five other buildings is well on the way. All the buildings are part of KCAP’s masterplan for the 10 ha business area in Shanghai’s Minhang district, close to Hongqiao airport, one of China’s biggest hubs for domestic flights. Themed ‘happy to work’ it aims to create a vibrant working environment in a three dimensional green setting. Delivery of the next 4 buildings is expected in December, the whole project should be realized by the end of 2014.

Kees Christiaanse, together with Ma Yansong, MAD Architects, China and Wolf D. Prix, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Austria will join a panel on September 13 during the 3 day World Economic Forum in Dalian, China. The title of the panel discussion is Thinking like an architect. Date: September 13 Time: 12:00 am - 1:00 pm Click here for program information.

The Selling Centre of the China Media Park in Qindao is almost completed.The centre is the first building within KCAP’s 30 ha masterplan in Qindao’s Chenyang district. With its core ‘creative village’ the area targets the advertising, media and film industry and enables the site to reconnect and regenerate its context. KCAP is responsible for the urban scheme and the architecture of the nine buildings of phase 1 of the development. On key positions in the masterplan buildings with distinctive architecture are located. The Selling Centre with its triangular façade elements is one of these landmarks which welcomes visitors to this urban quarter and marks the entrance of the main pedestrian area into the heart of the creative village.  

KCAP Architects&Planners celebrates the second anniversary of KCAP Shanghai.In May 2011 KCAP Shanghai was officially opened as the second branch office next to Zurich (CH) and KCAP’s headquarters in Rotterdam (NL). In its second year KCAP Shanghai managed to intensify the personal relationships with our clients and collaborators and continued successfully its inspiring work in China and other parts of Asia. Throughout the year KCAP worked on a variety of urban planning and architectural projects, some of which are already under construction, such as the 'Rotterdam Gardens' mixed-use project in  Shenyang. In the various projects, KCAP pursued its work on urban regeneration processes. In Shenzhen KCAP, together with local partner Shenzhen Lay-out Planning Consultants Ltd, was selected for the international consultation on the overall Urban Design Guidelines for the regeneration of the Sungang and Quingshuihe areas, as well as for the planning of subunits 1, 13 and 15. In December 2012, in a two-weeks design workshop in Shenzhen Luohu District, the concept was further developed. The workshop was a collaboration of KCAP with more than 30 local developers, the Urban Planning, Land and Resources Commission of Shenzhen Municipality and our client Luohu District Land Reform Authority. The approved result is expected in the early third quarter of 2013. It will serve as the statutory document for the urban regeneration of the area.With projects in Qindao and Shanghai, KCAP focused on the planning of knowledge hubs as catalyst areas in city development. The 30 ha masterplan in Qindao’s district Chenyang targets with its core 'creative village' the advertising, media and film industry and enables connecting the site to its surroundings in order to profit from the existing qualities. Next to the urban scheme, KCAP is also responsible for the architecture of the nine buildings of the first phase of the development for which the construction ...

The free Hong Kong magazine Metro Pop has published a 2 page feature about KCAP in the category 'Life Style Architecture'. Click here to view the magazine. To find the article, choose 'Architecture' in the menu at the bottom.

  On February 10th the Chinese New Year's Day will be celebrated. KCAP wishes everyone a healthy and happy new year!  

The travelling exhibition Dutch Design on the Move is presented again - after Beijing Design Week and Guanzhou Kanton Fair - at  100%Design Shanghai, from November 8-10. KCAP is again part of the participants. Click here for more information and the program.

KCAP is one of the Dutch participants of the travelling pop-up exhibition 'Dutch Design on the Move', organised by the Dutch Design Workspace, the DutchDFA and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing. The first of the platform to present the exhibition is the Beijing Design Week 2012, running from September 28th through October 6th.  Next shows will be presented at Shanghai Design Week, Hong Kong Business of Design Week and Guangzhou Canton Fair. The exhibition 'Housing with a Mission' is also featured during Beijing Design Week at CAFA, Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Housing with a Mission is based on a match making program initiated by the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi) in which KCAP as one of five Dutch architects to collaborate with five Chinese architects to develop new concepts for high quality affordable housing in China. The exhibition was previously shown at the 2011 Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture and received the Organizer Committee Special Award of the Biennale.  Click here for the detailed program of Dutch Design at BJDW 2012.  Or go to the official website of Beijing Design Week.  

The 2012 edition of the Dutch Design in China Yearbook, initiated by Dutch Design Work Space (DDWS) in Shanghai, features more than 40 top design companies from the Netherlands that have set up a permanent base or have realized a project in China. The disciplines range from design, fashion, architecture to branding and advertising. Click here for more information.  

On Saturday, May 12th it is one year ago that the branch office of KCAP Architects&Planners in Shanghai was officially opened and the Chinese website www.kcap.eu/cn was launched. In this first year of presence in China, we were able to enhance our personal relations with our clients and collaborators and expand our previous experience of more than 10 years of building activity in China. We were happy to also welcome one of our Chinese clients in Europe for a tour to major European cities including Hamburg and Amsterdam.   Throughout the year we were involved in more than 12 projects in 7 different cities in various parts China. The projects range from large-scale urban designs across masterplans to a series of architectural designs with a great variety of programs.     Related to our experience and research on sustainable urban regeneration processes, KCAP wrote a column for the Chinese Business Herald. The text with the title ‘Urban Breeding Grounds’ was published in January 2012. In February, DutchDFA released a film portrait about KCAP in their series ‘Dutch Profiles’, giving insights into how KCAP develops their ideas about cities.   Next to our architectural activities, KCAP joined the Beijing Design Week 2011 in September 2011, the Shanghai International Creative Industry Week 2011 in October, the International Green Habitat Forum 2011 in Zhenjiang in November and in March 2012, as part of a group of Dutch architects active in China, KCAP was present at the China Sustainable Building Forum & Expo 2012 in Shanghai. The presentation was organised by the Dutch Consulate General in Shanghai. Just recently, in the middle of April, KCAP participated in the Dutch Week 2012 Shanghai, also initiated by the Dutch Consulate General in Shanghai, on the occasion of 40 years of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands. Furthermore, KCAP is member of the ...

KCAP as part of a group of Dutch architects active in China joins a stand at the China Sustainable Building Forum & Expo 2012 in Shanghai which is part of the 2012 Shanghai Architecture Fair and will take place in the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The initiative is organised by the Dutch Consulate General in Shanghai. The fair is from March 27th till March 29th.

Kees Christiaanse was invited to write a column in the Chinese Business Herald. [[file:articlebusinessheraldcn]] [[file:articlebusinessherald]]