Xi’an CCBD

About

A new district, designed by Heatherwick Studio, has opened in Xi’an, honoring the Chinese city’s legacy of craftsmanship and ceramics. The Xi’an Centre Culture Business District (CCBD) is south of the historic core, between the ruins of the Temple of Heaven and the Shaanxi radio and TV tower. The area blends retail with walkable streets, terraces, and open plazas, in addition to offices, apartments, accommodation, and large green zones. Ceramics are at the heart of this 155,000-square-meter neighborhood, with crafted tiles cladding facades, columns, and curving beams, a nod to the ancient capital’s sculptures of terracotta warriors. The architects worked closely with local artisans to producing over 100,000 glazed tiles. The outdoor streets converge at the central plaza, where the Xi’an Tree, a vertical park, is a natural gathering point. Visitors ascend its 56 elevated ‘petals,’ terraces where a sequence of cascading gardens follows the biomes of the ancient Silk Route from the alpine tundra to the dry steppes. Standing more than 57 meters from the basement level, the Tree gives spectacular views across the development.