A hybrid civic centre in Changchun integrating nature, culture and commerce across layered public spaces above and below ground.
A Multi-Level Urban Centre for Changchun’s Civic Future
Changchun Supergarden is a 3.2 million square metre city-scale development located in the heart of Changchun’s southern urban extension. Envisioned as a civic landmark and public destination, the mixed-use masterplan reinterprets the city’s historic green grid and introduces a new multi-layered civic infrastructure combining landscape, culture, commerce, transport and housing. Designed by CLOU architects, the scheme proposes a seamless integration of above and below-ground programmes, including museums, libraries, retail, and sports, with four signature towers and a central public plaza defining its urban presence.
Urban Strategy and Green Legacy
The Supergarden masterplan continues Changchun’s legacy of uninterrupted green corridors by extending the existing citywide green infrastructure southward. A central landscape spine weaves together Guangming Reservoir in the north, the civic plaza at the centre, and the Yitong River in the south. This landscape network supports a car-free environment and accommodates multi-modal transport links, including a new Line 1 station and direct underground connection to Line 6.
A Multi-Layered Public Realm
One of the key design strategies is the integration of multiple programme layers within a unified civic environment. The underground space is conceived not as a secondary service zone but as an active and continuous public realm. Retail, sports and cultural venues occupy the -3 to -15 metre levels, while landscape courtyards and lightwells ensure access to daylight and ventilation. A three-kilometre-long subterranean network connects landmark towers and civic destinations, offering a weather-protected public space for year-round activity.
Land Use and Massing
The site comprises a total land area of 3,240,522 sqm, with a proposed built-up area of 3,793,615 sqm. Buildings are arranged to create a denser urban core around the central plaza, tapering towards residential areas in the south and the natural edge of Guangming Reservoir in the north. A new +220m ground datum ensures level connectivity across the site, while accommodating dramatic topographical changes towards the Yitong River edge.
Civic Landmarks and Cultural Programming
At the centre of the masterplan, four towers ranging from 210m to 330m form a vertical civic ensemble. Unconventionally, public programmes are elevated within the towers: a museum is located at 100m height inside the tallest tower, and a public library crowns another. This inversion of public-private hierarchy offers residents panoramic access to cultural facilities. Two of the towers feature split volumes, allowing vertical gardens to ascend from the underground spaces through interstitial voids.
The Bowl and the Supergarden Network
The central plaza, or “The Bowl,” is a 300m diameter civic amphitheatre integrating traffic, retail, metro and public facilities across four subterranean levels. It serves as the nexus of a broader six-zone landscape system: a car expo park, a sports and leisure area, Guangming Reservoir Park, a shopping park, the Yitong River promenade, and the central plaza itself.
Integrated Mobility and Access
Vehicular traffic is directed to underground car parks on B3, while goods and services use a continuous looped delivery street at B1 and B2. Retail spaces are accessed through open courtyards and atria, reinforcing the relationship between above and below-ground public life.
Yitong River and Seasonal Transformation
At the southern edge, a floating structure encircles an artificial water garden that becomes a public ice rink in winter. Perpendicular volumes hover above the water, preserving river views and creating shaded outdoor spaces. A pedestrian bridge connects to the far bank, further extending the city’s green and civic network.
