Linking Nature and Health: Dongsheng Culture & Sports Park

Project Overview Dongsheng Culture & Sports Park is located in the High-tech Industrial Development Zone of Zibo City, Shandong Province. It covers an area of about 179 acres, consisting of cultural and sports venues, parks, and a riverscape. Located nearby is the first “sky loop” of Zibo, allowing visitors to walk and ride on a path in the air. The cultural and sports buildings, whose curves follow the site's topography, grow from the park and then integrate with it. Additionally, the park’s topography creates functional space for many immersive health activities, which stimulates the surrounding community and raises the effect of public events in Zibo. At the same time, the use of park space is maximized, which brings significant impact to local urban economic development and public image. The Laozi River, formerly of raw, singular functionality, is now fully utilized in the area in the form of multiple waterfront ecological spaces for water purification, scenic vistas, and a sports park with sustainable ecological maintenance. Site Background Dongsheng Culture & Sports Park is found in the eastern end of Zibo’s Core Business District, an aggregation of technology, finance, and other high-end industries. Due to the lack of community gathering spaces in the surrounding areas, this project aims to create a dynamic business and recreation environment with the theme of sports, recreation, and travel. The project site is rectangular in layout. Running down the middle is the Laozi River, which separates the landscape on the west side and the cultural and sports center on the east side. The original topography is flat and lacks elevation changes. The initial environment is integrated into the landscape context of Zibo city. Additionally, the site's topography is reorganized to form a landscape park that enriches the spatial experience.  Currently, the Laozi River is only a flood control river. Therefore, one major challenge of the project was connecting the east and west functional spaces due to the concrete banks. The landscape here aims to transform the Laozi into a river that integrates the two sides and enhances the concept of a sponge city and establishes more connections between people and water. Design Concepts The landscape simulates the natural elements of the mountainous area of central Shandong Province. These elements include ridge terraces, cloud layers, unique plants, flowing water, and a canyon. As a result, the natural wilderness is brought to life in the urban area. The park is defined as a mixed-use spatial sports park with an overall structure of “Nature and Health Loops". There are six main areas: Sky Loop & Plaza; Entrance Area; Mountain Area; Fitness & Family Area; Riverside Recreational Area and Lawn Terrace Amphitheatre. This park is a public and interactive area, providing natural spaces for children to play as well as professional-level facilities for athletes. To adapt to the form and terrain of the site, a curved garden road winds around the park’s riverbank and hills. It connects the valley, forest, hilltop, and plain in the park. At the same time, this corridor forms a multidimensional experience walk linking people with the city and nature. Key Nodes Entrance The park's main entrance is a winding path of canyon space formed by concrete walls and thick woods. The park's high point can be seen at the end of the walk. Its landscape is formed by mounding and trenching, and using the excavation of the residential area to achieve the earthwork balance. A 7-meter hill was piled up above the grounds, planted with dense ecological landscape grasses. This mountain landscape, formed through layers of mountain mounding slopes, is a unique artistic mark of the site. Creative Space The west side of the hill is the most vibrant area of the entire park. A large bridge and numerous climbing spaces are set up along the slope between the children’s playground area and the hilltop cafe, forming a lively and exciting activity space. The Galaxy Theater is another essential node for gathering and interacting in the park. Colorful youth energetic fields are embedded into the hill. They are containers of healthy and fun life for residents, and the colorful courts invariably inject vitality that attracts young people and enthusiasts. Sky Loop The giant Sky Loop spans the Laozi River above the sports park. It links the Culture & Sports Center with the sports park, activating the site’s unique characteristics and becoming a landmark path for citizens to run on. Love Plaza,A curtain-shaped water feature, a light and shadow archway, and a mirror pool create an immersive place for gathering. Ecological Design By reshaping river banks with various landscape methods, an ecological water-land transition zone is established to rehabilitate vegetation, enhance biodiversity, and purify water quality. Combined with sound ecological management, the area creates a river landscape where visitors can observe the ecological cycle, or enter the river to feel the flow of water and aquatic plants. Project Significance This landmark mixed-use area is based on the concept of “feeling the green flow, reshaping a healthy life”. It integrates multiple aspects, including community cultural activities, local art, ecological health education, and livable waterfront life. By creating a vibrant sports synthesis, it is crucial to satisfy the activities of locals, emphasize the sense of participation, and improve the people-oriented concept such as functional activity space for all ages. Secondly, urban parks should highlight local culture and traits. Thirdly, parks need to be blended into nature and be organized as an essential part of the urban ecological strategy. Dongsheng Culture & Sports Park is designed by following these principles. It will be a model reference for future urban park design.