Büro Ole Scheeren and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban have been appointed to create a masterplan for the Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project in China.

Together, the architects will establish a new art and cultural destination in the historical city on behalf of New World Development Company, a Hong Kong-based group focused on property, infrastructure and hotels – and one of the largest foreign direct investors in mainland China.

With a total gross floor area (GFA) of 460,000sq m, the Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project will feature a number of separate, but connected, projects.

These include a Rosewood Hotel; cultural-retail destination called K11 Art Mall; a network of office buildings for the "next generation workforce" called K11 ATELIER; luxury residences K11 ARTUS; and a cultural space for everyone.

The partnership between the two architects will seek to "forge new concepts in architecture and telling stories with design".

Ole Scheeren said: "The collaboration between Ole Scheeren and Shigeru Ban will create a rich juxtaposition for the site, capitalising on their unique styles and design aspirations.

Adrian Cheng, CEO of New World Development, said: “I'm thrilled to join hands with Shigeru Ban and Ole Scheeren – the two world-renowned architects with humanitarian and innovative spirit, to inject deep humanistic connotations into the Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project.

"We will continue to uphold the concept of ‘Creating Shared Value’, strive to leverage on the brand’s competitive advantages, work with various sectors and all walks of life to enhance the values of the city and local communities, as well as enrich people’s life experience with art and culture.

"At New World Group, it is of equal importance to develop our business and address the long term social needs. We believe that we can create a win-win situation for the society by maintaining a positive social interaction in an innovative way."

Cheng added that his beliefs in breaking the boundaries and "blending tradition with modernity strongly resonates with Scheeren’s concept of form follows fiction”.

Scheeren's past works include leading the designs of the China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters; the Bangkok’s Mahanakhon tower and The Interlace in Singapore.

Shigeru Ban is known for his innovative structures in timber, and the use of paper in architecture. His dedication to social humanitarian work led to him receiving the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014.

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