Jingyue Central Park / SHUISHI

Architects: SHUISHI
Area: 59,000 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: Chill Shine, Li Kuan, Zhang Yikai, Wang Xiu
Architectural Design: SHUISHI Micron Architecture Office, SHUISHI Engineering, SHUISHI Urban Regeneration Center
Construction: Shanghai Garden Group Fourth Branch, Shanghai Garden Group General Contracting Division
Owner: Changchun Jingyue High-tech Industrial Development Zone Management Committee, Jilin Jingfa Innovation Investment Group Co., Ltd., Changchun Jingyue Investment Holdings (Group) Co., Ltd.
EPCO: SHUISHI, Shanghai Garden Group
Planning Design: SHUISHI Landscape Design
Landscape Design: SHUISHI Landscape Department II, SHUISHI Landscape EPCO Management Team, Changchun Jingyue Design Group Co., Ltd.
Digital Design: SHUISHI, FAB-UNION
Project Management: Changchun Weishi Construction Engineering Project Management Co., Ltd.
Operator: SHUISHI, Shanghai Garden Group
City/Location: Changchun City
Country: China

Jingyue Central Park in Changchun redefines the relationship between landscape, technology, and urban life. Designed by SHUISHI, the 59,000-square-meter park transforms an abandoned municipal site into an ecological corridor that unites residential neighborhoods, academic institutions, and public infrastructure. Developed through an EPCO framework—integrating engineering, procurement, construction, and operation—the project embodies a comprehensive approach to sustainable urban renewal. Digital design tools informed the park’s structural optimization and spatial planning, while an operation-based management model ensures long-term viability. The result is an inclusive public landscape that balances ecological restoration, recreation, and economic resilience. Jingyue Central Park now serves as the ecological and social heart of Changchun’s High-tech Zone, symbolizing the city’s transition toward a greener and more connected future.

Located in the heart of Changchun’s Jingyue High-tech Zone, Jingyue Central Park represents a significant milestone in the city’s pursuit of integrated ecological design. The project occupies a site once marred by construction waste and infrastructural barriers, where abandoned soil piles and viaduct shadows had severed the natural and urban fabric. SHUISHI’s intervention reimagines this neglected land as a continuous green artery, one that connects fragmented urban areas and restores the ecological balance within a rapidly developing district.

The design process was rooted in the idea of transformation—turning an idle, utilitarian space into an active public domain. SHUISHI envisioned the park not as a traditional green belt, but as an adaptable system that engages with its surroundings. The park now acts as an ecological buffer and a civic space, accommodating the needs of 300,000 nearby residents and several universities. Its north–south orientation reconnects formerly isolated neighborhoods, while its east–west extension integrates commercial, educational, and recreational zones.

SHUISHI implemented the project through an EPCO delivery model, a method that unites design, procurement, construction, and operation under one coordinated process. This approach ensured consistency across technical, aesthetic, and financial dimensions, while reducing inefficiencies typical of traditional project delivery. Collaboration with Shanghai Garden Group strengthened this process, merging design vision with construction expertise. The result is a project that exemplifies lifecycle thinking—where design decisions anticipate long-term use, maintenance, and adaptability.

A significant feature of Jingyue Central Park is its digital design methodology. SHUISHI employed advanced modeling and simulation tools such as Karamba and Ameba to refine structural forms and optimize materials. The twin lookout platforms on the park’s eastern and western edges employ a lightweight hybrid of wood and steel, fine-tuned through computational analysis to balance flexibility and strength. The same design logic guided the children’s play area, where digital modeling resolved the geometric complexities of organic structures, ensuring safety while maintaining visual harmony.

Beneath the viaduct—a space often left underused in urban settings—the design team introduced new possibilities for community life. Through topology optimization and digital modeling, the supporting structures were minimized, creating open, airy volumes beneath the elevated roadway. These spaces were reprogrammed into active zones, including basketball courts, shaded gathering areas, and flexible event venues. This adaptive reuse demonstrates how infrastructure, once a source of division, can become a framework for connection.

The landscape composition of Jingyue Central Park draws inspiration from natural valley systems, using terrain to define circulation and spatial hierarchy. Multi-level pedestrian routes weave between green slopes, water features, and plazas, establishing a rhythm between movement and pause. The park’s pathways are designed as a continuous network, linking indoor and outdoor spaces while maintaining accessibility for all visitors. The resulting environment feels immersive and fluid, offering multiple vantage points and experiences within a unified landscape.

Ecological rehabilitation forms the foundation of the project’s identity. The planting strategy prioritizes native species and layered vegetation to create a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem. Trees and shrubs are arranged to filter air, reduce noise, and moderate temperature, while seasonal variations in foliage enrich the park’s sensory landscape. Beyond its aesthetic qualities, this green framework performs as urban infrastructure—mitigating stormwater, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting microclimatic balance within the district.

Operational strategy was a defining component from the earliest design stages. SHUISHI’s operation-based model divides the park into three categories—public welfare, semi-public, and commercial—allowing a balance between accessibility and economic sustainability. By integrating businesses, parking facilities, and cultural programs, the park sustains itself financially while maintaining its civic character. This hybrid model reduces dependence on public funding and ensures that the park remains vibrant and well-maintained in the long term.

Community participation played an essential role in shaping Jingyue Central Park’s social dimension. The design process incorporated feedback from residents, educational institutions, and local authorities, ensuring that the park responds to diverse needs. Partnerships with universities such as Northeast Normal University and Jilin Jianzhu University transformed the site into a living classroom, where students engage in environmental research and design practice. This ongoing collaboration reinforces the park’s identity as both a public space and an educational platform.

Jingyue Central Park exemplifies how integrated design can regenerate the urban landscape through collaboration, technology, and ecological sensitivity. It transcends its role as a leisure destination to become an active component of the city’s ecological and social infrastructure. By aligning advanced digital tools with local culture and sustainable operation, SHUISHI has created a model of adaptive urban renewal that bridges the gap between nature and modernity. As Changchun continues to evolve, Jingyue Central Park stands as a testament to the potential of thoughtful design to heal, connect, and inspire within the contemporary city.