The Rotterdam firm MVRDV has won the competition to design a residential and shopping complex in the financial district of Jiangbei New Area, an expansion of the Chinese city of Nanjing. The 166,000-square-meter project presents two L-shaped towers, each rising 150 meters and containing 40 stories, and facing one another from the north and south corners of the site. A podium of 3-4 commercial floors forms a perimeter around an oasis of trees and other plants, and vegetation lines the flowing curves of balconies and terraces. The design shows gridded facades in the outer faces of the perimeter block, in response to the office skyscrapers set to emerge around. The development will incorporate a system for recycling gray water and rainwater. The positioning of the towers capitalizes on prevailing west winds to maximize natural ventilation. Deep balconies are staggered to bring in all the natural light possible.

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