The first phase of Pearl River New Town, an 80-acre project in Chengdu, in China’s Wenjiang District, is under way along the banks of the Jiang’an River. Chengdu was at one time a leading center for broadcloth production, and RTKL, which is overseeing the project’s master planning, architecture, branding, and landscape architecture, designed the project’s streets, pedestrian pathways, and bridges to resemble a woven fabric. The project’s centerpiece is a 1.18 million-sf, four-level shopping center (with green roof) that will connect to a 35-story Class A high-rise. Plazas, pedestrians walkways, and open green spaces outside the retail complex will link to a “lifestyle environment” that will be lined with restaurants and shops to evoke the character of a traditional Chinese market.
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