KSP's “Urban Spiral”

KSP has won the central Changsha public design competition in China with its “Urban Spiral” design. The design is the terminus of a road that extends over the surface of Meixi Lake, with a 30-meter-high pedestrian spiral staircase standing on a 20,000-square-meter artificial island.

The spiral structure will become a new landmark for Changsha, offering panoramic views of Meixi Lake and the Changsha CBD (Central Business District). The entire spiral has a diameter of 88 meters and a total length of one kilometer, combining a visitor reception area, a park, and a children's activity deck. The spiral structure consists of hollow steel columns supported on 40-centimeter-thick pillars; the walkway stands 9 meters above the ground and connects the city to the water via two roads. Changsha is a hot spot for architects and planners, home to Zaha Hadid's cultural art works and KPF's 120 million-square-meter master plan. The Meixi Lake Urban Spiral will be completed in 2015, and “it will be a symbol of urban expansion in southwestern Changsha,” said Johannes Reinsch, general manager of KSP.