Activating a Neglected Canal as a Community Hub by Lab D+H

2023 Playgrounds and Schools / China / Built in 2022 / dhscape.com/

Location: Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Design year: 2016-2022
Year Completed: 2020-2022

The challenge facing of the Waterline Park is its unappealing nature: a long narrow gutter surrounded by residential housing blocks. Despite its lack of visual appeal, it is still a precious public space available to residents. The landscape seeks to transform this uninviting space into an engaging public area for community use and gathering. The design approach focuses on activating the site by introducing water, creating a myriad of water features that change this site into an enjoyable public space for residents to engage in community activities. The goal is to bring new life and vitality to the area, strengthen social cohesion, and create an inclusive community space that fosters a sense of belonging for all residents.

Design challenge

The design project faced a daunting task: how to transform a forgotten and neglected strip of land into a space that could bring joy to the community. Although located among residential buildings, the site is not a conventionally planned green space reserved for residential areas, but rather resembles an abandoned piece of land. The site is a 1.5km long gutter, with a narrowest width of only 40m, and a height difference of 5-7m with surrounding roads. Its narrow width, steep slopes, and harsh terrain made it seem almost impossible to use. However, apart from the buildings, the whole residential area contains a huge water body, and the green space on the ground remained highly valuable as public spaces for residents.

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