The Zhonghai Tianyu Garden, Shenyang, created for a residential community in the ancient Manchurian capital of Shenyang in Northern China, is composed of simple, sophisticated planting and decidedly modern hardscape that encapsulates the quintessential of Chinese imperial style – expansive, exuberant and enlivening. The garden was conceived as a collection of outdoor rooms that serve as a community gathering place for the residents.
Expansive: Mondrianesque lines are creatively used to divide the entire Garden into smaller functional spaces, while the gradual transition between each space, indoors and outdoors, lends to a sense of space that is at once expansive yet intimate.
Exuberant: Imbuing the Garden with a joie de vivre are the larger-than-life ballerina sculptures set atop the water features, lyrically uniting the strong Mondrainesque lines and elegantly simple perennials, evergreen shrubs and deciduous trees.
Enlivening: The walls, water, plants and paveways are seamlessly integrated into a sequence of contrasting light and shadow, static and moving, to form a diverse spatial experience to attract, fascinate and enliven the senses.
The Garden stands in steep contrast to the architectural excitement that is all around it, and continue to serve as an oasis for residents and visitors alike.