Hengqin development | Architect unveils urban design project for southern reclamation zone

John Pauline

Living in Macau, we invariably have questions about what’s happening over the border in Hengqin. The redevelopment of the neighboring island is a hot topic that will impact the future of the entire region, and one that the British Business Association of Macau (BBAM) is keenly watching.
International architecture and design firm Hassell is re-imagining Hengqin’s southern tip. At a BBAM luncheon last week, Hong Kong-based John Pauline, design principal for the firm, described his vision for the island and spoke about the design process. The project is already two years old, having evolved from an entry in an international design competition through to the current development phase. Hassell is partnered with the Zhuhai Institute of Urban Planning & Design to oversee the development of the milestone project.
At the southernmost tip of the Pearl River Delta, a series of interconnected reclaimed islands have been proposed to fulfil the key goal of a high-end development. “It’s a land reclamation project. In essence, it’s like a series of islands that are being built off the southern tip of Hengqin island – 17 square kilometers of development that actually has about 14.5 million square meters of usable floor space. So it’s an enormous project, substantial for the entire region,” explained Mr Pauline.
The  site  is  positioned  for  high-
end business services and international resort and tourism zones, while also balancing the needs of the surrounding marine environment. In terms of planning principles, the idea has been to divide the area up into a series of zones, each with their own characteristics. The development of this plan will proceed over a number of stages, beginning with a land reclamation phase that will be completed in between five and eight years. The rest of the plan will be executed incrementally, since the project covers an enormous scale and duration.

Plan for Hengqin’s southern tip

The one thing Hassel has tried to do is emphasize Hengqin’s greatest asset: the water. Consequently, every single spot is no more than five minutes away from the waterfront, whether in terms of views or access. “We’re trying to create an authentic waterfront lifestyle
– not just more of the same but something different,” Mr Pauline stated. The areas of higher development density will be placed in the inner, internal urban core, with lower-rise buildings surrounding the perimeter so sea views are universally available. Sustainability is also a key element being taken into consideration throughout the project.
“We have these zones and precincts: there’s a resort precinct up towards the north, which becomes the northern heart of the island; then we have the waterfront urban core precinct that comes through the middle of the scheme; we have the resort aspects, which wrap around the perimeter; and then, at certain points around the edge, we have mixed-use precincts featuring waterfront marinas,” Mr Pauline explained.
Marinas will be a “significant” part of the project, and because of its sheer scale there will be several of them. At some point, the reality of planning will kick in; government regulations will come into play in order to determine what is actually feasible in terms of the boat moorings and the depth of the interconnecting canals. However, the architect has confidence in the integrity of his vision. “Obviously there’s a grey zone in terms of how these aspirations are going to resolve themselves and work themselves out. At the moment, all signs are showing full speed ahead,” he affirmed.
Diversity is also another keyword that has been emphasized. A strategic split of residential, hospitality, healthcare, commercial and office facilities will be implemented to ensure that the development has a permanent day-to-day population living there. “All of these things offer multifunctional, diverse aspects: different in scale; different in function; different in terms of their integration throughout the master plan to get that diversity,” Mr Pauline stated.
The scheme is being seen as one part of an integrated development and one piece of a long-term development process for the whole delta region encompassing Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Macau. “The development that surrounds Macau is extraordinary. With Hengqin and the southern tip, it’s almost like this incredible, wonderful, dynamic chessboard,” Mr Pauline declared. “There’s no doubt that opportunities are enormous. The scale of what we’re doing in southern Hengqin is something that vastly out-populates anything from where I’ve come… I would say that from a Macau perspective, embracing and connecting to this development is the only thing that makes sense.”