Located within Beijing’s Second Ring Road, just a 15‑minute bike ride from the Forbidden City, Zhonghai Daji Alley integrates approximately 80,000 square meters of commercial space with 12,000 square meters of open green space. The project reconnects heritage courtyards, hutong alleyways and contemporary workplaces, using the public realm as a catalyst to bridge historic fabric with everyday urban life. The result is an accessible, engaging “urban cultural living room” that invites people to gather, linger and connect.
Culture woven into daily life
Anchored by three key heritage courtyards, the project adopts a “linking points into lines” strategy that brings cultural memory into the rhythm of daily use. A clear narrative thread runs through the site, expressed through paving patterns, material selections and installations inspired by historical-era maps. These elements preserve the district’s character while giving the place a distinct, legible identity.
Street‑facing building edges are refined to create a more cohesive urban frontage, while native planting softens transitions, enhances seasonal expression and visually unifies the hutong and retail streetscape. Together, these interventions form a walkable, engaging public realm where historic references and contemporary life coexist naturally.
A multi‑layered public network
Building on the site’s vertical organization and reconfigured existing spaces, the project establishes a three‑tier public network linking ground‑level parks, terraced forests and rooftop commercial terraces. This system departs from traditional enclosed retail circulation, introducing a more open, civic character throughout the district.
Underground retail corridors are reimagined as culturally immersive pedestrian streets, with greenery extending across multiple levels to soften transitions between nature and commercial activity. Previously overlooked under‑bridge and sunken spaces are reprogrammed as flexible urban stages, accommodating markets, pop‑ups, pet‑friendly uses and community gatherings.
Together, these interconnected layers support all‑day activation and operational flexibility, enabling nature, commerce and neighborhood life to coexist within a continuous, walkable public realm.
Ecology and low‑carbon performance
By preserving and reconfiguring the existing tree grid and planting approximately 420 new trees, the project carefully aligns vegetation with sunlight, prevailing winds, sightlines and building setbacks. This approach achieves optimal canopy coverage, spacing and height, forming a continuous, shaded, three‑dimensional green network that links ground level, terraces and rooftops. Supported by subtle elevation changes, the system enhances microclimate performance and pedestrian comfort. More than 30 percent native, drought‑resistant species reduce irrigation demand and long‑term maintenance, supporting low‑carbon operations.
An integrated “solar + landscape” strategy embeds photovoltaics within the Daji Gate, low‑carbon garden pavilions and terraced installations to power on‑site lighting through a self‑sustaining system. These PV elements also function as architectural and artistic features, uniting performance and aesthetics while raising public awareness of renewable energy. In combination with active cooling systems, canopy shade and misting, the design mitigates heat‑island effects — transforming public spaces from merely accessible to genuinely inviting and comfortable.
Zhonghai Daji Alley demonstrates an inner‑city renewal approach that layers heritage narratives, existing assets and multi‑scenario operations through the public realm, creating a culturally participatory destination with enduring, everyday appeal.
Awards:
- The 4th Beijing Urban Renewal Best Practices – Outstanding Project
For more details: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/l3Uj22TZmCoVu9I3ad4MkA
Photo credits: AECOM / Archi-translator / Holi Landscape Photography