Pelli Clarke Creates Bamboo-Inspired Gateway for Yibin High-Speed Station

This article examines the masterplan by US firm Pelli Clarke & Partners for an 836,000-square-metre, car-free urban district west of Yibin’s high-speed railway station in Sichuan, China. The design fuses landscape, culture, and transit-oriented strategy to create a district shaped by bamboo ecology and the Shunan Bamboo Forest.

The project centers on a vibrant park and a shopping complex named Yibin Place by MIXC. It also features a digital art museum designed with SADI and four mixed-use towers, all connected by a pedestrian-first urban fabric.

Design Approach and Landscape Integration

The masterplan responds to the region’s hilly terrain and forest context. It weaves a three-dimensional pedestrian experience through a central landscape core.

The scheme uses green roofs, planted terraces, open-air streets, and layered massing to evoke the forest floor and the network of bamboo roots. A distinctive three-level central corridor runs through the site, with ground-level pedestrian paths and waterways, elevated first-level walkways, and an upper canopy of white shading structures.

Undulating trellises atop retail pavilions follow the natural topography. These are informed by bamboo roots that interconnect groves above ground, reinforcing a sense of organic growth within the urban setting.

Core Architectural and Landscape Features

• Three-level central corridor weaving ground-level paths, waterways, elevated walkways, and a canopy above, creating a continuous pedestrian spine.
• Green roofs and planted terraces to blur the line between architecture and landscape and to support microclimate control.
• Undulating trellises atop retail pavilions, echoing bamboo rhizomes and the terrain’s rhythm.
• Symmetrical tower pairs—23- and 33-storey towers flank the park with curved, vertically articulated façades inspired by bamboo calligraphy.
• Yibin Place by MIXC as a shopping complex that combines an indoor mall with freestanding pavilions to craft a street-like retail experience beside the park.
• Digital art museum designed with SADI, set behind a sculptural aluminium-clad façade that encloses column-free galleries.
• Transit integration with direct linkage to the station at the eastern edge and a park-centric urban edge at the western end.

Mobility, Program and Cultural Context

The project is car-free, prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists while ensuring strong transit integration. The eastern edge’s park-facing orientation links directly with the high-speed rail and local public transit, anchoring a walkable and vibrant urban edge around the station.

The park’s immediate connection to transit supports a transit-oriented development approach. The western end activates street-like experiences through Yibin Place and the surrounding pavilions.

The architectural language—curved façades and vertical articulation—aims to evoke bamboo-style calligraphy. This reinforces cultural resonance with Sichuan’s bamboo landscape.

Program Elements and Sustainability

• The indoor mall and freestanding pavilions create a continuous, street-like retail environment beside the park.
• The central park as social and ecological anchor supports biodiversity and a high quality of life for residents and visitors.
• The digital art museum offers a cultural magnet with a sculptural aluminium façade and column-free galleries that maximize flexible exhibition spaces.
• A landscape-led approach uses bamboo-root-inspired networks of terraces, corridors, and open spaces to organize the urban fabric.
• Green roofs, planted terraces, and water features contribute to microclimate control and stormwater management while enriching pedestrian experiences.
• The project demonstrates a sustainable mobility strategy by prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, and transit access over private cars.

Collaborations and Local Context

The masterplan was developed with strong local collaboration, including Yibin Urban & Rural Planning Research Institute and Sichuan Provincial Architectural Design & Research Institute.

The latter led landscape, structural, and MEP work. This ensured technical integration with the design intent while aligning with regional planning standards.

Pelli Clarke & Partners describe Yibin as a vision that integrates landscape, culture, and urban life.

The goal is to create an adaptable, nature-informed district that reflects both the local context and current trends in sustainable, pedestrian-first city-making.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Pelli Clarke & Partners unveils bamboo forest-informed district in Yibin