Fengxian South Shanghai Central Park

Fengxian South Shanghai Central Park

In October 2022, the Shanghai Fengxian People’s Government, Shanghai Planning & Natural Resources Bureau, and Shanghai Greening Administration organized the International Consultation for Landscape Design of FengXian South Shanghai Central Park. Covering an area of approximately 422 hectares, TLS was invited to participate and presented the overall design scheme: Brocading Forest.

The name Fengxian originates from the arrival of Ziyou on the east China shore in 444 B.C., where he established a school. Descendants built the “Yanzi Ancestral Hall” to honor the values of “respecting the virtuous, seeing the virtuous, and thinking of the virtuous.” Mountains and forests have deep roots in Jiangnan culture, and forests have been revered as cultural sanctuaries in major civilizations around the world. As one of Shanghai’s “five new towns” in the 2035 plan, Fengxian aims to extend this cultural heritage and become a leader in urban forestry.

TLS’s proposal draws inspiration from the interplay between Confucian and Taoist cultures and the forest, embodied in “The Apricot Forum.” This painting, paying tribute to Confucianism, features exquisite brocade. To embrace and respect the huge existing forest, the design needs a bold strategy that is as delicate as a lacework inserted among the trees. The elegant pattern unfolds into a “tapestry” of forest spaces, forming the design concept: Brocading Forest. We intertwine the forest with four layers of brocade: forest boulevards, medium-scale paths, waterways, and vegetation, blending with the existing forest and functional “boxes” defined by roads and waterways. This fabric layer resonates with the traditional textile of South Shanghai and the landform texture of water towns, adapting to diverse forest conditions and creating various atmospheres.

Each forest condition carries and weaves the new Jiangnan “six arts” onto the brocade. Confucianism emphasizes mastery of the “Six Arts”: Rite, Music, Archery, Chariot-driving, Calligraphy, and Mathematics, while Taoism teaches the ways of nature. The brocade layer accommodates activities related to the new Jiangnan “six arts,” ultimately converging into the concept of “harmony.”

Embracing a reborn forest, the Brocading Forest concept pays homage to the wisdom of the sages and fosters the revival of new Jiangnan Culture within the city.