Location

Nanjing, China

Program

City master plan

Size

18.3 square kilometers

Dates

2013-2014

Key Staff

Eric McNevin, Andrew Wright, Kim Lagercrantz

The Bridge City is one component of a multi-city master plan located outside of Nanjing, China. The other cities in the plan are the Mountain Island City, the Bridge City, and the Super Block City.

The site consists of a mountain with a number of reservoirs along the perimeter of the mountain base. The existing mountain ridge provides a large flat area for development. A vertical City Wall building surrounds the flat ridge, sequestering a large elevated zone for development. Behind the City Wall a long, low Hilltop Building stretches along the length of the ridge to provide an academic campus and support functions for a series of office towers above.

Periodic City Gate openings in the City Wall provide access points for mass transit up and down the mountain and for collected water to travel down the mountain slope. Each gate is positioned to optimize solar exposure, and photovoltaic panels are integrated into the south-facing facades.

As water passes through the City Gate it passes through a Waterfall, and begins a vertical drop down the face of the mountain through Tributary channels. Water is collected in Cisterns at the top of the mountain behind the City Wall, at a mid-point along the mountain slope along the Ring Road, and at the base of the mountain in existing reservoirs. The released water passes through a turbine at each collection point and generates electricity.

A new Ring Road circles the mid-point of the mountain slope. A tram connects the four Nanjing Sites, and follows the mountain along the Ring Road. Vertical extensions up the slope connect the Ring Road tram to the mountain top zone. Tram Stations are located at the base of the mountain, the Ring Road, and at select City Gates.