A Strategic Vision for Xiamen’s West Coast

This project transforms Xiamen’s west coast waterfront into a central civic and ecological corridor — shifting its role from edge to core. Framed as a catalyst for urban regeneration, the proposal reprograms the coastline to integrate ecological resilience, cultural activation, and public infrastructure.

Strategic Objectives
Reposition the Coastline as a connective spine — not a boundary — linking historical memory with future innovation.

Weave Local and Global: Embed maritime heritage within a forward-looking urban framework.

Key Urban Strategies
The Coastal Spine
A continuous promenade reclaims Lujiang Road as a multimodal civic platform, integrating pedestrian, bicycle, and slow mobility networks.

Sequential Urbanism
The waterfront is divided into a series of programmatic zones that reflect and respond to Xiamen’s diverse urban fabrics — enabling layered, time-based public experiences.

Urban Acupuncture
Targeted, small-scale interventions — such as cultural pavilions, floating stages, and maritime playgrounds — activate urban voids and generate new social intensities.

The Soft Edge
Hard seawalls are replaced with ecological systems: floating wetlands, tidal gardens, and permeable shorelines that absorb sea-level changes and enhance biodiversity.

Cultural Programming as Infrastructure
A cultural spine animates the waterfront with daily public rituals — from morning tai chi to evening projections — turning public space into a living narrative.

Design Features
Mobility as Ritual: Prioritize walkability and cycling by reducing vehicle lanes and reclaiming street space.

Architectural Anchors: Introduce iconic coastal structures — ferry terminals, cultural hubs, and media incubators.

Layered Public Spaces: Ramps, sunken plazas, and tactile landscapes enhance accessibility and experience.

Visual Porosity: Maintain uninterrupted views between city and sea, reinforcing urban-sea relationships.

Developed by Spatial Forces, Guallart Architects, and Shenzhen Leo Planning and Design Consulting Co., Ltd.
Commissioned by Xiamen Urban Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd.