A flowing ring of workspace, leisure and living creates an integrated campus for innovation on Hainan’s southern coast.

A New Typology for Work and Leisure in Hainan

Located in Lingshui, Hainan, the Pilot Zone Innovation Incubation Center is designed as a landmark integrating office, residential, and leisure functions within a cohesive ring-shaped structure. With a gross floor area of 45,800 sqm across six functional components, the project proposes a contemporary, landscape-merged campus typology for innovation-driven communities in southern China.

Merging Architecture with Landscape

The design for the Pilot Zone Innovation Incubation Center redefines the typology of workplace campuses by merging built form and landscape into a seamless environment. Located in Lingshui, a southern coastal city in Hainan, the project sits on a 23,000 sqm plot adjacent to a lagoon, which acts as both a spatial and visual anchor for the entire scheme.

Interlocking Rings as Landmark Form

Three interlocking volumes form the central architectural gesture of the project. These curved buildings house the Innovation Center Phase 1 and Phase 2, SOHO apartments, a Service Centre, and Leisure facilities. They wrap around a central lagoon and sunken art plaza, shaping a continuous loop of activity, circulation and green roofs.

Programmatic Composition

The Innovation Center comprises two office buildings of 6 and 8 storeys respectively, providing flexible workspaces suited for startups and research organisations. The SOHO apartment block rises to 8 floors, offering live-work units that connect directly to landscaped gardens. A service centre and leisure pavilion support the daily needs of residents and visitors. Underground parking ensures efficient access.

The design prioritises the creation of shared spaces for exchange and rest: the sunken forum, the lagoon promenade, the green roof pathways and internal courtyards all act as informal meeting grounds. Each building’s elevated base generates a permeable ground level, encouraging interaction between nature and program.

The continuous building skin features vertical louvres that alternate rhythmically, softening the facade and responding to the tropical climate with passive shading. Roof gardens reduce heat gain and connect with the surrounding parkland, enhancing ecological performance.

A Campus for the Future

Through a sensitive integration of architecture and landscape, the Pilot Zone Innovation Center creates a distinctive spatial identity that is both iconic and functionally flexible. It establishes a new benchmark for future innovation parks in Hainan and beyond.