Diller, Scofidio + Renfro Wins the international South Sea Pearl Eco-Island competition. The competition – hosted by Haikou Municipal People’s Government, organized by HNA Infrastructure, coordinated by HNA Design and CBC(China Building Centre) and lead by chief consultant Vicente Guallart, former Chief Architect of Barcelona – saw 10 leading international firms compete for the design of an 250 hectare eco-tourism hub on a newly constructed island in the Haikou Bay of Hainan, which will contain housing, hotels, tourist attractions and a port with capacity for two large cruise ships.
Courtesy of Guallart Architects
Prizes:
1st: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
2nd: Foster and Partners
3rd: Morphosis Architects
South Sea Pearl:
South Sea Pearl Artificial Island lies in the sea area about two kilometers northwest of HNA Beach and SPA Resort in the west coast of Haikou. The planned investment is around RMB 8.4 billion, and 260 hectare marine reclamation lands are to be build (including 250,000-tonner cruise home port). The project is divided into two construction stages, with the first-stage of 49.3 hectare and the second of about 210 hectare, which is linked with Binhai Avenue behind it through island-connected bridge. Two ports and nine districts are planned to construct in the project. With the 250,000-tonner cruise home port and yacht harbor as its primary support, the project also provides corresponding harbor supporting facilities and high-end industries such as international yacht club, water sport base, leisure and healthy resort, sports theme park, foreign entertainment service, commercial district, water airport dock, international entertainment center, ocean park, etc.
Courtesy of Guallart Architects
1st Prize: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
According to the jury,‘The jury found the strength of the project was that it was singular and clear in realizing the Ecoisland as a whole. It would create a beautiful, iconic form rising naturally out the landscape, recalling the volcanic caldera of the area, and shape the island into a continuous structure that would be an extremely efficient compaction of resort, retail, and housing. The project leaves the rest of the island as a place for aquaculture and agriculture, recreation, resort living and cultural facilities. This proposal is one for a truly a human-made island that celebrates all that makes such water-bound places so attractive and beautiful, while contributing to our understanding of deep, intrinsic ecology.’
Courtesy of Guallart Architects
2nd Prize: Foster and Partners
According to the jury,‘The jury appreciated the central park the architects proposed, believing this would be a major contribution to the public and an attractor to visitors. They also lauded the attention paid to innovative technologies that would allow for intense agriculture and promised a development that could make extremely efficient use of resources. They were enchanted by the combination of learning, recreation, and living the architects showed.’
Courtesy of Guallart Architects
3rd Prize: Morphosis Architects
The Construction of the Project will begin in 2017, and excpected to be completed at date of 2027. Additional studies are currently underway to determine the design potential of other islands in the Haikou Bay.
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial