SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Feb. 24, 2025 – A transformative new urban space has opened in Xi’an, China, designed by the renowned London-based Heatherwick Studio. The Xi’an Centre Culture Business District (CCBD) is a dynamic neighborhood that seamlessly blends retail, residential, and recreational spaces, all while paying homage to the city’s rich history of craftsmanship and ceramics.
A New Urban Landscape
The CCBD is more than just a collection of buildings; it’s a carefully crafted urban landscape that encourages interaction and exploration. With walkable streets, inviting terraces, and open plazas, the district offers a refreshing departure from conventional urban development. The centerpiece of this innovative design is the Xi’an Tree, a breathtaking vertical park that serves as a natural gathering point. Visitors can ascend its 56 elevated ‘petals,’ or terraces, which feature cascading gardens that mirror the biomes of the ancient Silk Route. Rising over 187 feet above the basement level, the Tree provides stunning panoramic views of the development and the city beyond.
The Vision of Thomas Heatherwick
“Here in Xi’an, we were excited to create a commercial district, which gave the city an extraordinary new piece of public space,” says Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick studio. “Instead of simply making different buildings, and paving and planting the spaces between them, there was the opportunity to craft an unexpected three-dimensional urban landscape on many levels, where citizens of the city can promenade and meet each other.”
Dynamic Design and Sensory Experience
The CCBD’s design is both visually striking and experientially rich. At a city-scale, the district’s skyline, inspired by traditional Chinese temples, creates a distinctive visual identity. At street level, interlocking frames and landscape terraces offer varied perspectives of the central plaza and the surrounding city. At door-level, the design emphasizes sensory engagement through the use of materials and nature, including ceramic planters and soft-edged stones in the paving.
Honoring Xi’an’s Heritage
Ceramics play a central role in the CCBD’s design, with crafted tiles cladding the façade, columns, and curving beams, a clear nod to Xi’an’s famous Terracotta Army. The design team collaborated closely with local artisans to produce over 100,000 unique glazed tiles, “paying homage to the city’s tradition of making and its historic connection to ceramics,” according to Mat Cash, partner and group leader at Heatherwick Studio.
A Counterpoint to Overbearing Development
“Super large-scale developments are being built all over the world to satisfy rapidly urbanizing populations. By their very nature, they are often overbearing, singular, and devoid of character—they do nothing for people they are meant to serve,” says Mat Cash. “As a counterpoint, we wanted to infuse our project in Xi’an with the spirit, variety, and texture that happens naturally in cities over time.”
A Place to Touch and Experience
The CCBD is designed to be a tactile experience, with “glazed lift buttons and door handles to hand-carved timber handrails and seats.” The goal is to create “a place that invites you to reach out and touch it,” Cash adds. “We hope it will be a place that feels immediately a part of the city, and where visitors to the neighborhood will want to spend time in the decades to come.”
A New Heart for Xi’an
The Xi’an CCBD represents a significant addition to the city, offering a unique blend of commerce, culture, and community. With its innovative design and commitment to honoring local heritage, the district is poised to become a beloved destination for residents and visitors alike.
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