Foster + Partners first started working in Beijing in 2003, after winning the Beijing Capital International Airport project. Conceived as the gateway to the city for the twenty-ninth Olympiad, the airport terminal is a symbol of its place, with a soaring aerodynamic roof and dragon-like form.
In the twenty years since, Foster + Partners has completed a number of projects in the region, including the 12-hectare Guo Rui Kingdom masterplan, which creates a mixed-use community in the heart of the Yizhuang, and the award-winning Datong Art Museum, China’s ‘Museum of the 21st Century.’
The practice is currently working on three new office buildings in Beijing’s Central Business District and has also been appointed to develop an urban design strategy for the area. The authorities are looking to enhance the urban realm across the CBD, creating new public spaces that prioritise the human experience.
At the start of the project, Foster + Partners conducted detailed interviews with the public and recorded observations to understand which areas should be targeted. Driven by this research, the practice has developed a design guide for the CBD, which aims to improve four key areas: the streets, viaducts, riverfront and parks. Local and international examples of successful urban design are used to illustrate the suggested strategies.
On a smaller scale, the practice is also redesigning the streets between the three new office buildings in the CBD. The design transforms existing constrains into opportunities for innovation and makes new connections to greenery wherever possible.
Luke Fox, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “Working in Beijing for the past two decades has been an incredibly rewarding experience - from the early days developing the design of the airport terminal in a local office to setting up a permanent home for the practice. Our ambition is always to make a positive contribution to the cities we work in, creating an urban environment that will support future generations.”
Pearl Tang, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, added: “It is a great privilege to be working on projects such as the CBD urban design strategy, which will have a direct impact on people’s experience of the city and inform future design policies.”
There are currently 30 people working in the Beijing studio, which is located in the city’s historic centre, adjacent to the Xihai Wetland Park. The studio building is a listed art gallery that has been carefully redeveloped by the practice to create a series of light-filled spaces for work, relaxation, exhibitions and events.
The Beijing office works under the direction of the London office - and with Foster + Partners’ global offices - to provide a personalised service for local clients, while facilitating the design and construction of new buildings in the region. Members of the team take breaks in the office’s scenic natural surroundings and often meet outside of work to hike together in the mountains.
