In China’s Hebei province, a dramatic new glass building is reimagining the future of food in metropolitan centres. Situated at the entry to the Hengshui International Horticultural Park and designed by van Bergen Kolpa Architects, the Vertical Farm—which glows violet at night—showcases new methods for food cultivation across four floors and 12,800 square meters.
Hebei has traditionally been a major supplier of fruits and vegetables to nearby cities Beijing and Tianjin, but the region faces growing challenges—an aging population, limited water resources, and increasingly unpredictable weather all threaten conventional farming methods. The Vertical Farm addresses these issues by combining controlled-environment cultivation with efficient resource management, demonstrating how local food production can be sustainable and resilient under changing conditions.
A stacked volume enables more sustainable agriculture
As its name suggests, the building stacks functions to create an energy and cost-efficient farm on a small footprint. Through integrated systems of water reclamation, passive heat recovery, and natural ventilation, the Vertical Farm demonstrates how urban agriculture can be a sustainable, environmentally responsive component of our cities. An educational route through the building gives visitors a chance to experience this for themselves.
Beyond the dramatic glass facade is a full-height entrance hall that gives view to the four floors of the building, each with a different farming method. The first two floors house the LED automated vertical cultivation areas, laboratories and processing rooms. Many of these facilities feature glass walls and are thus visible from the entrance hall on the ground floor. The third floor houses the demonstration center, and the fourth floor is home to the rooftop greenhouse—van Bergen Kolpa's take on the Venlo design—where fruit and vegetables are grown in natural light.
Designing systems that nurture plant life
Van Bergen Kolpa has fully integrated water and energy systems into the design. Irrigation is managed so that excess water is captured and reused, while natural ventilation and evaporative cooling regulate the interior climate. Passive solar heat and residual heat from LED lighting are incorporated into the building’s heating strategy. The facility supports plant cultivation in nutrient-rich water, supplemented with artificial light to optimize growth. It also demonstrates how urban resources—such as nutrients from wastewater or atmospheric carbon dioxide—can be reused within a controlled horticultural environment.
A new understanding of farm to table
Vertical horticulture addresses the challenge of producing and consuming food within dense metropolitan areas by situating cultivation close to the point of consumption, reducing logistics and ensuring fresh produce. This horticultural complex marks a significant step in the development of high-tech horticulture, realized in collaboration with international knowledge partners and Dutch suppliers in China.
