KPF has completed the Westlake 66 project—a mixed-use complex spanning 194,400 square meters (over 2 million square feet) in downtown Hangzhou, China. Located between West Lake (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the city’s historic Grand Canal, the new development combines five office towers, the Mandarin Oriental Hangzhou, retail spaces, a university building, and multi-tiered public green spaces.
Developed by Hang Lung Properties, the project connects its various functional areas via a 400-meter-long “Sky Park” and an algorithmically designed facade system, thereby creating new relationships between the buildings, the landscape, and the urban environment.
Landscape and Public Space
Hangzhou is defined both by its cultural heritage and by its role as a major center for research and development. The city is home to numerous leading technology companies as well as important cultural sites, including West Lake. The cultural landscape of this lake—an internationally recognized symbol of both China and Hangzhou—has its roots in the Tang Dynasty (7th century). The intricate arrangement of gardens, temples, pagodas, pavilions, and dams reflects a Chinese landscape tradition in which individual elements are arranged to form harmonious visual axes.
“Westlake 66 reinterprets the urban relationship between buildings and the landscape in Hangzhou by conceiving the architecture itself as an urban park,” says Jeff Kenoff, FAIA, Design Principal at KPF. “The design took advantage of the site’s relative seclusion as an opportunity to create a central green axis running through the neighborhood. This creates a landscaped connection between West Lake and the Imperial Canal, while simultaneously establishing an entirely new, multi-level public space within the city. This urban development initiative guides pedestrian traffic through a sequence of gardens, terraces, shopping streets, dining areas, and elevated public spaces, thereby transforming a previously isolated block into a vibrant urban destination.”
The “Sky Park” forms the centerpiece of Westlake 66. This 400-meter-long, landscaped path connects the complex’s various functional areas while also serving as a public destination. It spans the entire site, elevates the public space to a level above the base structure, and offers views of the surrounding mountains and Hangzhou’s cultural landmarks.
The design concept for “Westlake 66” is inspired by the 14th-century painting “Living in the Fuchun Mountains” by Huang Gongwang. The artwork not only drew on the landscape of Hangzhou but also influenced the architectural approach in terms of scale, layering, terracing, and the relationship between landscape and people. Instead of conceiving the development as a cluster of towers, the team designed a kind of “urban valley.” The building heights are staggered to direct daylight onto the site, while a “Sky Park” and terraces allow visitors to move upward within the architecture. The resulting composition mirrors the mountain landscapes surrounding West Lake.
Computational Design
While Westlake 66 draws inspiration from the culture and landscape of Hangzhou, the design was also developed using computer-aided modeling and data analysis.
“We used computer-aided modeling tools to generate and evaluate thousands of variations in the building’s volume. Each one was analyzed against various, sometimes competing, objectives—including solar radiation, shadow cast, daylight penetration, visibility of retail spaces, and sightlines,” explains Luc Wilson, Global Director of Design Technology at KPF. “From this process, the ‘Sky Park’ emerged as the most effective strategy for connectivity.”
In addition to project requirements, site analysis, and design assessments, performance metrics were incorporated into the process. Building positions, shapes, terraces, heights, floor plans, orientations, and facades were optimized through simulations to maximize daylight penetration, improve visibility, reduce shadow cast, and strengthen connectivity within the site.
The “Urban Cell Wall”
One of the defining architectural elements of Westlake 66 is the “Urban Cell Wall”—a custom-designed facade system located in the base of the complex. It creates a connection between the complex’s various functional areas while also forming an interface between the buildings and the city that is tailored to the human scale.
“We wanted to develop a novel strategy for urban facade design that transforms pedestrian connections across multiple city blocks and responds to various urban planning influences,” explains Jeff Kenoff.
Unlike conventional facades, which are based on fixed usage requirements, the “Urban Cell Wall” is an adaptable system capable of responding to future changes. The individual modules can be adapted to changing uses and tenant requirements without compromising the identity of the overall project. The facade responds to varying usage requirements, sightlines in the urban space, and ecological objectives, thereby enabling a wide variety of configurations.
Using computer-aided analysis, these variables were integrated into a modular system that both meets the project’s performance requirements and enables practical fabrication and assembly. The resulting three-part structure is composed of interchangeable elements. Precast aluminum outer shells—available in seven levels of openness, ranging from fully open to fully closed—form the primary modules of the “Urban Cell Wall.” An inner ring of terracotta references Hangzhou’s tradition of craftsmanship; it is glazed in one of five colors and creates a color gradient that helps pedestrians find their way. Four different infill elements—transparent glass, shadowbox panels, storefront glazing, and ventilation louvers—address the functional requirements of the interior spaces.
“The terracotta elements of the ‘Cell Wall’ presented one of the project’s greatest challenges: We had to manufacture a handcrafted product of the highest technical and aesthetic quality on an enormous scale—a total of 3,400 cells, each consisting of eight to ten terracotta parts,” explains Eric Engdahl, AIA, Associate Principal and Senior Technical Designer at KPF.
Inspired by the masonry patterns of Lingyin Temple—a well-known Chan Buddhist temple near Hangzhou—the historic bridges in the surrounding area, and the stone walls along West Lake, the façade is clad in glazed terracotta, whose hues reference Hangzhou’s architectural heritage. Five custom-developed shades create a subtle color gradient across the entire site and underscore the connection to local craftsmanship.
“The façade draws on the organic textures and colors of the surroundings and weaves nature into the urban landscape,” explains Minho Jeon, AIA, Senior Associate Principal and Senior Designer at KPF.
Environmental Performance and Certification
Iterative performance simulations shaped the facade designs of the towers with regard to daylight utilization, views, shading, and energy efficiency. Throughout the development process, environmental performance, user comfort, and architectural expression were considered holistically. While computer-aided tools provided insights into performance and adaptability, the choice of materials and craftsmanship established a connection to Hangzhou’s cultural context.
Towers 1 and 2 are certified to LEED Platinum, while the retail podium and Towers 3 through 6 (including the hotel) are certified to LEED Gold. In addition, the entire project has been awarded “China Green Building 3-Star,” “BREEAM Excellent,” and “WELL Platinum” certifications.
KPF-Team
Design Principal: Jeffrey Kenoff FAIA
Managing Principals: Peter Gross AIA, Andrew Cleary AIA
Managing Director: Yee Tak Lau AIA
Global Director of Design Technology: Luc Wilson
Senior Designer: Minho Jeon AIA
Senior Designer (Urban Cell Wall): Wenxin Chen AIA
Senior Designers (Wettbewerb): Katsunori Shigemi AIA, Rodney Bell AIA
Senior Technical Designers: Eric Engdahl AIA, Ronald Wong
Projektteam: Frankie Au, Edwin Baruch, Elie Boutros, Yijie Hu, Tait Kaplan, Jim Lau, Dan Li, Jingwen Li, Fei Mui, Alana Tam, Milo Wan, Weining Zhong
