Embedding Emotion: A Joyful New District for Xi'an

Embodying the principles of Thomas Heatherwick's groundbreaking and provocative 'Humanise' philosophy, the massive mixed-use Xi'an CCBD development – a neighbourhood of 155,000 sq m -  blends a retail podium with walkable streets, terraces and open plazas, offices, apartments, accommodation, green spaces, and a vertical park. Local craftspeople produced over 100,000 tiles, giving a tactile as well as a visual experience, while the spectacular 'Xi'an Tree'  rises in a 57m-high sequence of cascading gardens following the biomes of the ancient Silk Route.