Foster + Partners has won the competition to design a new center for Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province. At the heart of the Yuhang District the masterplan creates a mixed-use urban quarter that is green and sustainable, establishing new connections with nature.

A north-to-south 2.5-kiloemeter central axis stretches the entire length of the site, fragmented into five zones that celebrate the city’s relationship with water in its different forms, from streams and lakes to canals and wetlands. A new public park on the north wraps up the green spaces. Placed along the whole leafy spine are new facilities, including a cultural center, a library, and an exhibitions gallery. The masterplan provides a multi-level network of infrastructures and a range of transport options: shared micromobility, autonomous pods, shuttles, and water transport.