BIG offers the first glimpse of their proposed AI CITY. Located in Chongquing, also known as ‘mountain city,’ the hi-tech campus will host the headquarters of Terminus Group, the world-leading smart service provider. Dedicated to ‘artificial intelligence, robotics, networking, and big data,’ BIG’s proposal draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape.
The site of AI CITY is specifically situated within the Chongqing Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, with the 135,000m2 Cloud Valley anchoring the Science and Technology Headquarters in the first phase of the masterplan. BIG’s proposal for Cloud Valley is conceived as two plots that mimic each other’s opposites. There is the 'Mountain,' which forms a striking landmark in the area that gives shelter to a protected network of courtyards filled with inviting public functions. Then there is the 'Valley,' which offers the largest publicly accessible green rooftops in China for open-air events. Below the roofscape, the building opens up to the surrounding public to invite visitors into this new neighbourhood.
The design seeks to remove boundaries between building and nature by creating a ‘porous’ urban realm populated with large green courtyards, which are intended to host specific public activities such as sports events, art exhibitions and product fairs. Facades are also designed to be more transparent than usual, further strengthening the porous feel, with significant roof overhangs protecting inhabitants from sun and heavy rain.
As boundaries between nature and building are erased, so too are boundaries between humans and artificial intelligence. Throughout the plan, AI exhibition galleries, markets and cafes are located alongside professionals working on future AI technologies.
Roofscape plays a highly important role in the scheme, allowing for nature to coexist with office programs. A lush roof garden can be accessed from a descending canopy roof that drops to the ground in the central garden. In other locations, the roof lifts to form an entryway.
Throughout AI City, e-bikes, robotic vehicles and self-driving cars will define a new, smart mobility system.
Says Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG, 'We are thrilled to bring out experience to Chongqing and together with Terminus create AI CITY, the first landmark project in the hi-tech zone to become a new centre of innovation for China. AI CITY is envisioned as a city where people, technology and nature thrive together – with spaces designed for all types of life: human life, plant life, animal life and even artificial life.’
