Kunshan Forest Park | PLAT Studio

Kunshan Forest Park

Nestled between Shanghai and Suzhou, Kunshan is a rapidly developing city. The recent influx of industry workers and residents, drawn to the newly flourishing tech district of Kunshan West, has created a need for conscious inclusion of green infrastructure to support the district’s core as it continues to grow.

Kunshan Forest Park

Activity in Kunshan historically centered around the network of canals that permeated the city. Modern development has shifted emphasis from canals to highways, prioritizing vehicular convenience over the pedestrian experience. Poor infrastructure in combination with rapid development have left these natural resources underutilized and neglected.

Kunshan Forest Park

Forest Park, a 163 hectare area of forested wetland, has the capacity to act as an ecological and recreational anchor for the region. The park falls within the Miaojing River watershed, a historically preserved drinking water aqueduct resource connecting Kuilei Lake and Kunshan’s Old Town.

Kunshan Forest Park

Although designated as a recreational open space for local residents, Forest Park’s condition posed of two levels of inaccessibility. One, vegetation within Forest Park was densely overgrown and neglected. Two, the perimeter of the park is surrounded by private developments with few accessible entry points, to the extent that its western edge acted as a barrier between residents and the park’s amenities.

Kunshan Forest Park

In order to reconnect Kunshan Forest Park with its surrounding neighborhoods, design strategies addressing accessibility, ecology, and culture were necessary to transform the park into a destination that is valued as both an ecological and recreational resource.

Kunshan Forest Park

The West Entry is a vital gateway node that leads visitors into a recreational plaza fitted with amenities for social and active outdoor gatherings. Along the West Pond, the amphitheater, visitor center, and cafe take advantage of picturesque views of the water, enhanced by aquatic planting and screens of trees that mask the skyline of surrounding developments. The West Entry also serves as a departure point from which visitors can explore the network of trails and boardwalks within Forest Park. These internal pathways traverse a variety of peaceful and natural habitats, ranging from wetlands to forests. Timber boardwalks zigzag through diverse aquatic planting and beds of reeds, while hard paved footways meander through colorful deciduous trees. These pedestrian routes connect to the bike trail system of the neighboring Kuilei Lake, forming the “West Loop”: an active and community-oriented waterfront park.

Kunshan Forest Park

The green infrastructure strategy of Kunshan Forest Park aims to improve water quality district-wide by utilizing its vast network of filtrating wetlands. Through a combination of aquatic reed planting and a water pump system, Forest Park filters storm-water runoff from adjacent urban developments and returns it as clean water downstream. Bioswales and ornamental wetlands support the park’s mechanic infrastructure, mitigating pressure on urban storm sewers and creating a healthier hydrological system that integrates the parks’ water infrastructure into the surrounding urban context.

Kunshan Forest Park

The West Entry functions as an active cultural space by providing access to amenities that encourage the local community to gather. Residents of Kunshan West enjoy using the recreational plaza as a place to jog, practice Tai Chi, and meet for family and social functions. The cafe and visitor’s center service residents as they venture out to explore the surrounding natural environment.

Completed in 2016, the success of Kunshan Forest Park’s West Entry design is evident in the daily bustling activity along the western border, where visitors can be seen fishing on boardwalks, strolling through the lush planting, and dining by the West Pond. Forest Park has become indispensable landscape infrastructure for Kunshan West that supports the growing population and district development, fulfilling the needs of the community through efficient accessibility, abundant ecology, and dynamic recreational amenities.

Kunshan Forest Park

Project Location: Yuan Shi Lu, Kunshan Shi, Jiangsu Sheng China 215301

Landscape Architect: PLAT Studio
Team: Fred Liao, Kit Wang, Shih-Lin Lan, Tiger Sui, Can Liu

Water Management: E2 Design Lab, Australia

Photos: Kit Wang, Shih-Lin Lan, Maggie Kao
Text: Ellen Orchard

About Damian Holmes 3245 Articles
Damian Holmes is the Founder and Editor of World Landscape Architecture (WLA). He is a registered landscape architect (AILA) working in international design practice in Australia. Damian founded WLA in 2007 to provide a website for landscape architects written by landscape architects. Connect on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianholmes/