Location: Chengdu, China
Developers: Chengdu Qianhao Property Co. Ltd, joint venture of Swire Properties Ltd and Sino-Ocean Land Holdings Ltd.
Designer: The Oval partnership Ltd, Elena Galli Giallini Ltd and Spawton Architecture, Make Architects.

Located in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, the Daci Temple Project is a large-scale retail-led development consisting of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu — an open-plan, lane-driven retail complex; the Temple House, a boutique hotel with 100 guest rooms and 42 serviced apartments; and Pinnacle One, a Grade A office tower. The owner’s goal in developing this location was to create an urban lifestyle hub where visitors could enjoy a unique shopping and leisure experience amid the lanes, courtyards, and plazas of the complex.

This development in the heart of Chengdu adopted a creative modern architectural style, embracing elements of local cultural spirit and reflecting the traditional Sichuan style in its construction without using replicas. This urban center’s appeal is further enriched by its introduction of the contrasting fast and slow lanes concept, which echo the tranquil nature and slower pace of the serene atmosphere around the temple, as well as the trendy, bustling, and dynamic atmosphere along the high street. Furthermore, the project is a LEED ND Gold–certified development for its merits in sustainable urban development and environmentally friendly construction. Among its features are architectural fins on facade and roof eaves for solar shading and its use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis for building blocks and orientation study to improve its surrounding microclimate.