OBERMEYER was taking part in the highly interesting and complex design endeavor for developing a Super-HUB partially on top of an existing subway depot in Guangzhou. Xilang is the west gate of Guangzhou, which historically formed an important bridgehead towards Foshan. At the same time it is the starting point of the first subway line in Guangzhou and provides area to a major subway train-depot. Four subway lines and a bus-station are planned to intersect in Xilang and the daily passenger flow will reach hundreds of thousands of people. Thus the public transportation network brings vitality to Xilang, making it the core hub of Guangzhou-West.

Design-Strategies

OBERMEYER implemented the overall improvement of the Xilang metropolitan area through four interwoven strategies. The proposed spatial structure integrates a driving rhythm into the city, whilst embellishing an urban life-style for creating a city with a pulsing beat. The introduction of ?‘Super-HUB’ helps to facilitate that by gathering popularity ; the activation of the ‘City’s Veins’ to drive development; the formation of the "Gate of Xilang" as a spatial landmark to cast a splendid city image and to open a new chapter for the metropolis of Guangzhou.

Super-HUB

During the process of metro HUB design, OBERMEYER advised the creation of a valley-shaped sunken plaza for the transfer hall between the different lines, which efficiently interlinks city’s surface and the underground HUB by daylight and nature. As the result, the land above the station can be used for property development, creating a multi-dimensional integration of ground and underground spaces as well as a comprehensive transportation hub of international format.

Super-GATE

Super-GATE, i.e. the Gate of Xilang, functions as a gateway for Guangzhou and Foshan, whilst facilitating a multi-functional transportation hub and commercial center. Spatially OBERMEYER has initiated it by the combiniton of the two landmarks - the Guangzhou Gate and the Foshan Gate. The Gate of Xilang not only displays the towering sky gate with a 360 ° view of the city, but also presents a more earth-bound and magnificent horizontal gate. The composite-landmark images the city gateway to full delight.

Super-LINK

Through the branches extended from the central HUB, the pulsing aorta, to the surrounding areas, the city’s vitality will be concentrated around the adjacent public space. This Super-LINK supports directly the development of metro hub and surrounding city functions, that way forming a multi-dimensional complex.

Xilang-Metropolis

OBERMEYER envisioned by strengthening the TOD efficiency of Xilang-Station a metropolitan multi-functional cluster with the Super-HUB as the core, and a centralized vitality that will complement the development of Guangzhou's western environment.