The 3rd edition of the Super Tall Building Industry International Summit was successfully held in Shanghai today. Keith Griffiths, Chairman and Global Design Principal of Aedas, was invited to be a keynote speaker at the summit. He shared on Aedas’ experience in Super Tall Building and infrastructure development in the high density context of Greater Bay Area.
Government officials, Industry stakeholders, specialists and scholars from around the world gathered at the summit. Through over 40 sessions of inspiring speech and salon, the participants engaged in the discussion and promotion of the development and advancement of the Super Tall Building Industry in China.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, comprised of 9+2 cities, is the largest and most populous bay area in the world. This year, the central government of China issued the “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, which clearly indicates the strategic positioning of this dynamic and vibrant world-class city cluster. Economist predicts that by 2030, the economic output of the Greater Bay Area will constitute the fifth largest economy in the world in terms of GDP.
“The infrastructure construction will directly impact the progress of development and urbanization of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The activities of each city, collaborations within the Bay Area, as well as its connection and interaction with the world, are all based on the robust infrastructural support.” Keith noted that infrastructural facilities of each city within the Greater Bay Area should not be separated from one another. Rather, connectivity is vital. Specifically, commute between key cities should ideally take less than 1 hour. Aedas has been involved in numerous key infrastructure projects of the Greater Bay Area, connecting the area’s Southwestern and Southeastern sides through sea, land, and air transportations. They strengthen the connectivity between the South and the North, while also speeding up urbanization progress within Zhuhai and Shenzhen.
A clear orientation for urban planning, together with some key infrastructural projects, will determine how far the Greater Bay Area can reach for its development. “When it comes to the question of how to construct a sustainable and convenient urban environment to live and work in the long terms, provision of public area is the key. Based on Aedas’ observation and understanding of the urbanization process throughout the years, we believe the hub of modern cities should have penetrative, multi-functional and multi-level public spaces that serve to vitalize and connect the whole city,” said Keith.
Aedas designs many of the key urban projects in the Greater Bay Area, including the Zhuhai Huafa Wanzai Downtown Urban Design Project, Zhuhai Hengqin Science City Phase 1 and Phase 3 Development, Zhuhai Hengqin International Financial Center, Zhuhai Hengqin Novotown Phase 1 and Phase 2, Hengqin Tianhu hotel development, etc. Through illustrations of these projects, Keith explains how to render designs that response to the local community and culture of Zhuhai address the city’s lower coastal urban landscape, and incorporate its positioning as a leisure and travel destination as well as an industrial focus on biomedical research. Aedas, with a proactive global vision, would also take into account geographical features of project sites, to create highly efficient and convenient complexes that contributes to the city’s sustainable development.
