Prize money totaling of ¥320,000 is up for grabs in a new competition to design a new look for a former Ming Dynasty battalion training ground that was until more recently a Chinese air force base here in Nanjing.
Anyone who has ever travelled down Nanjing’s Shuanglong Da Dao will have at some point noticed the aircraft runway that stops not far short of the busy highway. Some will have even been lucky enough to witness a giant military jet on its approach, almost touching the taller vehicles on the road below as it sweeps in to land.
That runway is now soon to become “Runway Park”.
Built as a national air force base by the government of Republic of China in 1929, the highly-used road next door became a significantly safer place when the airport closed for good in 2015. The announcement of the competition has brought to an end years of speculation as to what use the prime, huge piece of real estate would eventually be put.
“Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport Renewal Plan – Runway Park International Design Competition for Young Designers” is an exploration to improve the quality of public space and a journey to seek out design originality and artistic creativity. Considering the runway park as a public space for cultural events and daily activities, participants are required to come up with creative proposals for reversible and mobile designs with an awareness for historical features, as well as the current situation of the site.
The competition is a global call open to young (under 40) designers, artists, teachers and students, majoring in urban planning, architecture design, landscape design plus art and design, seeking creative renewal proposals for urban public space which could offer a new perspective, stage and focal point to enrich daily life and stimulate a discussion about the core value of public space, summed up as a totally immersed and shared experience.
Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport’s runway is 2,600 metres long and 60 metres wide and was listed in the Second Batch of Historic Buildings Conservation Directory of Nanjing City. The planning for Nanjing South New Town clearly indicates that Runway Park should be identified as a crucial corridor for the whole area, and used as carrier to integrate industrial development, cultural agglomeration, urban sightseeing, health and leisure and ecological landscape, connecting the cultural public building belt on the northern side and official building belt on the southern periphery.
The breakdown of the prize money is as follows:-
- First Prize (1 team): Honorary certificate + ¥100,000RMB (pre tax)
- Second Prize (4 teams): Honorary certificate + ¥30,000RMB (pre tax)
- Third Prize (10 teams): Honorary certificate + ¥10,000RMB (pre tax)
- Honorable Mentions (several teams): Honorary certificate
The closing date for the competition is 15 November for registration and 1 December for submissions. More information and full technical specifications for competition entries can be found on the competition’s official site. Note that this is a link to an insecure site.
