Büro Ole Scheeren unveils Urban Glen, a landmark live-work-culture development in Hangzhou, China

Urban Glen seamlessly integrates work, living, and leisure, with a profound respect for nature and culture. As Büro Ole Scheeren and New World Development’s inaugural project in the vibrant city of Hangzhou, renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage-listed West Lake and often referred to as China’s “paradise on earth”, Urban Glen will expand and elevate the city's business and cultural offerings.

The mixed-use development occupies a pivotal site between West Lake and the Qiantang River and is a key element of the Wangjiang New Town project – a transformative urban initiative aimed at establishing a dynamic art and cultural destination within the historically rich city. Urban Glen will connect the Cultural Old City Centre with the New Central Business District, further enhancing Hangzhou's position as one of China’s first-tier cities.

The project comprises approximately 800,000 sq ft of offices, hotel and leisure spaces across two towers linked by the central Urban Glen – a built topography that harmoniously blends urban and natural elements. One tower will feature a luxurious Rosewood Hotel under its global lifestyle brand, while the other will house over 500,000 sq ft of prime offices operated by K11 Atelier, renowned for merging art, culture and people in next-generation workspaces.

Connecting the two towers, the Urban Glen will be an interactive space featuring the synergetic components of both towers such as ballroom, meeting spaces, bars and restaurants, retail, as well as spaces and terraces for the display of art. A network of escalators enables seamless vertical and horizontal circulation between the various functions, while connecting to the central public spine of the wider development and masterplan.

Inspired by the green hilly landscapes synonymous with Hangzhou, Ole Scheeren’s design layers nature throughout the project. A series of cascading stepped volumes create the three-dimensional landscape of the Urban Glen, setting a stage for New World Development’s art and sculpture collection. The weaving terraces and green spaces maximise natural daylight for both towers and simultaneously create a visual connection between exterior and interior spaces. The three-dimensional sculpture garden will be accessible to hotel patrons, office workers, and the general public, fostering a rich cultural experience.

Ole Scheeren comments, “Instead of creating a hermetic singular volume, Urban Glen opens a highly interactive space in the middle of the city block – a space that unites living and working with nature, culture, and leisure. It’s a model for activating urban density through the insertion of differentiated spaces of life – we want to redefine how we bring together culture and nature to foster a sense of community and social interaction.”

Urban Glen presents two distinct façade types, with an outer two-dimensional envelope forming a smooth, contextual shell and an inner world with dissolving geometric volumes that abstract the layered contours of Hangzhou’s natural landscape. Together, both form a unique and iconic figure within the cityscape. The urban interface façade consists of a system of recessed channels and vertical glass strips, achieving depth and elegance whilst defining the boundary of the urban block, while the internal stepping facade breaks into smaller pieces to reveal the green Urban Glen, infusing three-dimensional life at the heart of the development.