OCT Zhengzhou Jinshuihe

The city of Zhengzhou, China has a strong connection to water. FORREC’s master plan examined this connection and made it the basis of a new cultural entertainment district along the Jinshuihe River. Features include an ecological wetlands park, Silk Road theme park, archeological relics park, modern arts centre and community recreational facilities linked by raised walkways, bridges, towers and constructed landforms. These features are treated like distinct but connected “rooms”, beautifully curated and landscaped to blend the area’s rich history with the prospect of its bright future.

Central to the project is an urban district for both visitors and residents. The area includes a hotel and waterpark, outdoor retail street, aquarium, hi-tech entertainment centre and children’s career experience. An arts and entertainment district, activated by weekly outdoor markets, and an arts centre anchor the development. This urban green belt, similar in scale to New York’s Central Park, is designed to attract locals and tourists.

While visitors may connect to specific destinations within the park, FORREC envisioned the experience to be enjoyed as a whole. Like a play, there is an intentional rhythm to the sequence of landscaped spaces connected by the river as the linking narrative.