raffles city, hangzhou, china by UNstudio
image courtesy UNstudio

UNstudio's design for the mixed-use raffles city development is located near the
qiangtan river in hangzhou, the capital of zhejiang province, china. the project
incorporates retail, offices, housing and hotel facilities and marks the site of a cultural
landscape within the quianjiang new town area.

after four years of planning and construction, it will reach a height of 60 stories,
presenting views both to and from the qiantang river and west lake areas. raffles city
hangzhou will provide a total floor area of almost 300,000 square metres.

raffles city hangzhou is due for realisation in 2012.

according to ben van berkel, 'the philosophy behind the raffles city concept is to integrate
mixed use in an urban context, but in such a way as to give this concept a twist;
by focussing on where the urban context meets the landscape of the city. in the design
of the towers the urban element of the project twists towards the landscape, whilst
the landscape aspect, in turn, twists towards the urban context, thereby effecting
the incorporation and consolidation of these separate elements in one formal gesture.'


raffles city, hangzhou, china by UNstudio
image courtesy UNstudio


raffles city, hangzhou, china by UNstudio
image courtesy UNstudio


raffles city, hangzhou, china - interior
image courtesy UNstudio


model of raffles city
image courtesy UNstudio



circulation of raffles city
image courtesy UNstudio


program of raffles city
image courtesy UNstudio