In China’s Kangbashi district of Ordos, PLAT ASIA studio signed the redesign of the Shijie urban plaza, now a sports park. The organization of the program responds compositionally to the various landscape types found in the area – which includes deserts, steppes and rivers – and integrating these elements into the spatial experience.

For example, the Kubuqi Desert and Mu Us Desert, influenced by the northwest wind and desert climate, form blocks of slowly sloping dunes in the northwest and rising dunes in the southeast, which inspired the micro-track in the same direction as the park. In contrast, the Ordos desert steppe records in its topography the history of geological transformation over hundreds and thousands of years.

The layout of the park, derived from the structure of the local terrain, features a circular track representing the river, a blue track symbolizing the sky and the reflection of the river, and five functional fields that cater to different age groups and exercise habits.

The complete sports park includes soccer and basketball courts, tennis and badminton courts, a children’s plaza, a bicycle court, an area for the elderly, and a new basketball stadium. The central architecture, on the other hand, houses the children’s playground, the management service center, and a rooftop lookout offering panoramic views. While maintaining the urban character, PLAT ASIA’s design encourages human-scale recreational activities. In fact, in addition to natural tree shelters, membrane-structured pavilions in different spaces support comfortable resting areas along paths and playgrounds and delineate different scenes within the park.