Transforming a disused industrial cooling tower into a vibrant civic landmark of leisure, play, and exhibition.

Reviving Industrial Heritage as Community Playground

CLOU architects has been commissioned by Jinmao to design a demonstration zone within Guiyang’s Crystal Smart City, turning a former chemical plant into a multifunctional neighbourhood centre. Located in the northwestern plot of the new urban district, the 10.5-hectare site is anchored by a repurposed cooling tower. The 12,500-square metre redevelopment introduces retail, leisure and civic programs that target house buyers, families, and local residents, creating a new typology of urban regeneration centred around community interaction and industrial memory.

Urban Context and Site Conditions

Part of the Guiyang Jinmao Crystal Smart City masterplan, the demonstration community occupies a key location at the intersection of Dongping Road and Binyang Road. Surrounded by mixed-use and residential development, the site is bound by an existing train line and a tree-lined industrial boulevard. A drainage gutter bisects the plot and an existing railway, currently in use, will later be converted into a linear park. These infrastructural features offer opportunities for connectivity and programming, rather than posing constraints.

Programme Strategy

The scheme is anchored by a prominent cooling tower which becomes a civic landmark. Around this structure, CLOU architects organises a programme-rich axis including a showroom, 9,000 sqm of retail, an eco-park, brewery, F&B street, and exhibition flats. A mix of indoor and outdoor kids play zones are interspersed with landscape interventions and public art, allowing for flexible community use. A camping area and snack street further diversify the activation of the site across demographics and times of day.

Design Approach and Target Groups

The concept is driven by the desire to merge history, nature, and technology. CLOU’s spatial sequence connects old and new through a commercial spine with multiple public spaces. The retail strip is designed as a continuous promenade, showcasing shopfronts while weaving in green zones and event spaces. Target users include house buyers, families with children, young leisure-seeking groups, and local residents, with programming tailored to each group’s preferences.

Cultural and Future-Oriented Vision

The cooling tower, once a relic of industrial production, is preserved and highlighted as a centrepiece of identity. Its surrounding plaza becomes a gathering node, anchoring the community spatially and symbolically. The transformation reflects CLOU’s approach to adaptive reuse—turning post-industrial environments into layered, future-ready public realms.