Neil Denari explains his urban project for Weifang, China

“Weifang is a special city in China. Not only is it well known for the history of its handicrafts such as paper–cutting and New Year’s paintings, it is the world’s most important city for kite flying and the history of kites. For more than 2,000 years, the people of Weifang have enjoyed the exhilaration of seeing these colorful objects flying in the brisk winds of the Shandong region in Northern China. For this project, located on the Bailang River in the heart of Weifang, we have been inspired by a poem by Zheng Banqiao in which he described kites as “Paper flowers that fly over the sky like snow.” Indeed, the color and lightness of the kite, it buoyant qualities, and its formal qualities have further inspired our work. The Bailang river has become over the last few years a vital place for the interaction of people and a true public space enhancement for Wiefang. We see our project along the river as furthering this public cause through an open, networked organization that allows both pedestrian and vehicular flows across the site. Beyond, the river and mountains are reflected in the light blues and greens of the buildings, lending a fresh air to the site, a place that is welcoming and open. The arrangement of the buildings is based on the traditional north-south orientation of units (as required per the brief). Each residential building has floor through apartments with only four units per floor. With strategic planning, we have deployed a large amount of mass on the site in a way that respects light, views, and social space. It is our hope that this site will foster new forms of urban experience for Weifang.”