VERTICAL CITY

About The Entry

The project, centered on Chongqing Station, aims to explore a new model of integrated station-city development with Chinese characteristics. Drawing from successful TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) strategies in Japan and Hong Kong, the design proposes a high-density, multi-functional transportation complex that combines efficiency, urban vibrancy, and spatial innovation. Chongqing, as a major municipality with a unique mountainous terrain and strategic economic position, presents both challenges and opportunities for integrated development.

The project begins with a theoretical study that defines three key principles to guide the entire design process: efficient transportation connections, high-intensity development around transit hubs—particularly near the urban core—and the activation of public spaces. These principles are translated into a comprehensive urban design strategy. A system of elevated ring corridors and vertical city cores creates a connected spatial structure, linking various programs and breaking through the fragmentation caused by traditional rail infrastructure. These vertical cores not only serve as circulation hubs but also function as spatial anchors that support mixed-use development.

In the architectural design stage, the focus shifts to organizing circulation and integrating programs. The vertical city cores connect underground pedestrian corridors with elevated public platforms, creating seamless multi-level transitions. The eastern side of the station connects to a city platform serving pedestrians from the CBD, while the western side supports access by car and taxi. These vertical elements are not isolated towers, but dynamic spatial volumes that integrate the station with adjacent high-rises, retail, and public functions. The result is a unified, highly complex urban complex that reimagines the station not as a boundary, but as a vibrant center of urban life—an infrastructure-driven city generator that represents the future of TOD in China.