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China's high-speed railway network may soon link to this futuristic digital gate

China's high-speed railway network may soon link to this futuristic digital gate

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spacial practice harbin towers
spacial practice harbin towers

Harbin is one of the largest cities in China, and is a major political, cultural, and communications hub — its high-speed railway network connects none other than Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Tianjin. The climate, however, is also harsh. To help beatify the city, urban architecture outfit Spatial Practice proposed the Kaishengyuan Towers as a futuristic gateway for travelers and residents.

The Kaishengyuan Towers are designed to frame the city and be fully integrated into Harbin's railway system. On the outside, each building would have a massive LED atrium that show off media to the city around it (not unlike Brooklyn's Barclays Center, but on a much grander scale). On the inside, visitors would have a "comfortable shopping, working, and living environment" whose micro-climates are regulated by green, plant-filled terraces. “The Towers create a balanced relationship between empty and full, mass and void, private and public,” Spatial Practice director Erik Amir told AEC Magazine.