As China's first cross-regional landmark facility, this project will make the vision of “traveling across Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang in 15 minutes” a reality. More than just a symbolic structure, Fangting Shuiyuan will serve as a vital platform for regional exchange and a national and international showcase of the Yangtze River Delta’s integrated development.

Fangting Shuiyuan is a key component of the Watertown Living Room, the centerpiece of the Yangtze River Delta Ecological and Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone. It is designed to be both a symbol of high-level regional integration and a cultural exhibition hall celebrating Jiangnan's traditional water-town charm.

The project covers a total construction area of approximately 104,000 square meters, with a masterplan inspired by the traditional Chinese siheyuan (courtyard house) layout. The architecture reflects a modern Jiangnan style, with a central hall built along the main axis south of the Taipu River, anchored at the Origin of the Yangtze River Delta. Four corner pavilions house themed exhibition halls representing Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

The halls are seamlessly connected by three pedestrian bridges and covered walkways that span administrative and natural boundaries, symbolizing both traditional Chinese spatial order and the regional convergence and integration of the Yangtze River Delta’s three provinces and one city.

Geographical location map

The landscaping was led by the group’s garden engineering team, who prioritized native plant species while selectively incorporating novel and refined varieties to reflect the seasonal beauty of each region.

• Shanghai Pavilion adopts the theme “Modern Haipai Style”, featuring wetland waterscapes of Xuzhou, magnolia trees, and red brick dwarf walls, delivering an immersive journey into the elegance of urban Shanghai.

• Zhejiang Pavilion, themed “Mountains and Lakes”, integrates the imageries of tea culture, West Lake, lotus, and Su Causeway into its design, with a front garden styled as tea terraces and a rear yard featuring a lotus pool.

• Jiangsu Pavilion is themed “Poetic Gardens”, with a water-centric spatial composition which can reflect the buildings. The rear garden emphasizes minimalism, using red maples and limestone to create a serene waterfront courtyard.

• Anhui Pavilion, themed “Ink and Turquoise”, evokes the province’s hilly terrain with a Huizhou-style rockery in the front garden and dynamic contrasts of yellow rock and resilient pine in the rear, capturing the spirit of Chinese ink landscape paintings.

The site integrates multiple sponge-city solutions, including permeable paving on hard surfaces, green roofs, sunken lawns, dry ponds, vegetated swales, and eco-parking areas. These features establish a full-cycle rainwater management system that enables infiltration, retention, storage, and purification, blending architecture and landscape into a cohesive ecological infrastructure.

In its interior finishing works, the Decoration Division used advanced 3D modeling tools like Rhino and Revit, paired with CNC fabrication technologies, to realize complex and non-standard components including dougong, double-curved aluminum panels, and the iconic Lotus Roof structure.

Lotus Roof

As a major functional project within the Yangtze River Delta Integrated Demonstration Zone, Fangting Shuiyuan embodies a low-carbon and green development philosophy from the ground up. Shanghai Construction No.1 (Group) Co., Ltd. applied multiple advanced green technologies during the build, including ultra-low-energy architectural envelopes, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), efficient ground-source heat pump systems, smart microgrid systems combining solar, storage, and direct current, intelligent energy management platforms, making it one of China’s leading examples of a near-zero-carbon public building that integrates energy conservation and technological innovation.

As a result, the project achieves a comprehensive energy savings rate of 82%, significantly exceeding the new national standard of 72%. Its annual carbon emissions reduction is expected to reach 1,940 tons.