- Project: Pukou Community Center
- Architect: BAU Brearley Architects + Urbanists
- Location: China, Pukou, Nanjing
- Year: 2020
- Area: 47900 m2
- Photography: Shu He
A Civic Landmark Bringing Urban Life to Nanjing’s New Districts
Located on the expanding fringes of Nanjing, the Pukou Community Center by BAU (Brearley Architects + Urbanists) stands as a bold architectural response to the challenges of modern urban planning. In a district characterized by autonomous gated communities and fragmented urban fabric, this project seeks to reintroduce density, vibrancy, and public engagement.
Built at the intersection of two major streets and bordered by a canal, the community center transforms a once-isolated block into a dynamic civic destination — a catalyst for social interaction, culture, and shared public life.
Reinterpreting the Urban Block
At its core, the Pukou Community Center reimagines the perimeter block typology through erosion and abstraction. BAU retains two solid street edges while opening the opposite sides toward the canal and the network of green public spaces beyond.
This maneuver blurs the boundary between private and public realms, allowing the inner courtyard to act as an urban commons rather than a secluded void. Two civic-scaled openings pierce the block mid-way, reducing pedestrian distances and inviting residents to flow freely between the streetscape and the riverside park.
Inside the courtyard, a folded pavilion structure creates a subtle topography that activates the green space, providing visual interest and shaded gathering spots while preserving open views across the landscape.
Architecture for Public Life
The community center integrates a diverse mix of programs, merging civic, educational, cultural, and commercial activities within a cohesive architectural framework:
-
Ground Floor: Active retail and community services form a lively pedestrian edge, bringing movement and visibility to the streetscape.
-
Middle Levels: A 104-room hotel and flexible office spaces contribute to the district’s economic vitality and continuous use throughout the day.
-
Attic Level: A 2,500 m² preschool occupies the top floors, its elevated position offering safety, sunlight, and panoramic views of the surrounding city.
-
Central Courtyard: A community center, featuring an auditorium and swimming pool, anchors the development as a space for leisure, fitness, and civic gatherings.
The result is a multifunctional urban complex — not merely a service center, but a destination that enhances daily life and encourages the emergence of public culture in a suburban context.
A Study in Façade Performance
The façade of the Pukou Community Center embodies the fusion of architectural expression and environmental intelligence. A series of thin concrete slabs extend outward to form platforms for folded perforated metal screens, which respond dynamically to the sun’s orientation.
These angled metal sails regulate solar gain, improve ventilation, and diffuse natural light throughout the building’s interior — a subtle yet effective strategy to reduce energy consumption while maintaining thermal comfort.
The rhythm of light and shadow across the façades gives the structure a distinct, sculptural identity that changes throughout the day, symbolizing the project’s ethos of urban transformation through design precision.
Sustainable Urban Integration
The site’s canal-side setting plays a vital ecological role. BAU’s design extends the canal’s edge into a green pedestrian corridor, connecting the building to a larger network of public spaces across Pukou.
Vegetation, permeable surfaces, and shaded courtyards support sustainable drainage and microclimate control — aligning the project with China’s “sponge city” strategies for flood resilience and urban cooling.
In both function and form, the community center embodies sustainable urbanism, promoting social inclusion and environmental responsibility in equal measure.
A Model for Future Districts
For BAU, the Pukou Community Center is not just a standalone development but a prototype for a new kind of suburban density — one that replaces isolation with openness, and private enclaves with shared experience.
By integrating housing, education, leisure, and civic functions within a porous, walkable framework, the project restores the idea of the city as a collective space, ensuring that Pukou’s future growth remains human-centered and vibrant.
Plans
