Project Name: Liuquan Lake Children's Paradise

Location: Yichang, China

Design Team: HID Landscape Architecture

Project Area: 15,000 m²

Completion: 2024

Photography: IMA

Feature：

Project - HID Landscape Architecture has unveiled a mesmerizing children's paradise in Yichang, China, that seamlessly merges landscape architecture with playful innovation. The 15,000-square-meter project, nestled within Liuquan Lake Park, revolutionizes the concept of children's recreational spaces by transforming natural topography into an adventurous playground.

The project's most striking feature is its water drop-shaped foothill ring, elevated four meters above the site's lowest point. This architectural intervention creates a three-dimensional exploration space that challenges traditional playground layouts. The ring serves as a connecting thread between natural ridges, artificial elevations, and play areas, effectively blurring the boundaries between structured play and organic landscape.

Drawing inspiration from local mythology, the designers incorporated a sculptural slide in the form of 'Yu Xiao', a mythical beast, which serves as both a landmark and a functional play element. This centerpiece exemplifies the project's successful fusion of cultural storytelling with contemporary playground design.

The playground's terrain has been thoughtfully manipulated to create a dynamic landscape that appears to have emerged naturally from the surrounding foothills. The design team achieved this by implementing varying elevations, strategic sight lines, and a harmonious blend of hard and soft surfaces. This approach results in a space that feels both designed and organically grown.

With sixteen distinct types of play equipment integrated throughout the site, the paradise offers an unprecedented variety of recreational opportunities. The design eschews traditional playground hierarchies in favor of a more fluid, interconnected space that encourages exploratory play and creative engagement.

The project stands as a testament to how contemporary landscape architecture can create spaces that serve multiple purposes: preserving natural topography, celebrating cultural heritage, and providing innovative play opportunities for visitors of all ages. It represents a new paradigm in playground design where the landscape itself becomes an integral part of the play experience.

Design Team - HID Landscape Architecture, established in Suzhou Industrial Park in 2015, has rapidly emerged as one of China's most innovative landscape design practices, synthesizing Eastern philosophical principles with contemporary design methodologies. Under the leadership of principals Wu Hao and Zhang Lu, the firm has developed a distinctive approach to spatial composition that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The practice's design philosophy is anchored in what they term "spatial logic of modern life," a framework that integrates site-specific environmental conditions with cultural narratives. This methodology has been evident in their portfolio of works spanning public realms, cultural landscapes, and urban interventions across China.

HID's rigorous design process emphasizes three key components: comprehensive site analysis, iterative design development, and meticulous construction oversight. Their integrated approach to landscape architecture encompasses everything from initial conceptual studies through to detailed implementation, ensuring design integrity at every scale.

The firm's commitment to environmental stewardship is reflected in their sustainable design strategies, which prioritize native species selection, water-sensitive urban design, and adaptive reuse of existing site elements. Currently headquartered in Suzhou's vibrant design district, HID's team of 45 professionals continues to push the boundaries of contemporary landscape architecture while remaining deeply rooted in Chinese cultural context.