Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
Safdie Architects marks a major construction milestone in China with the completion of Eling Residences in Chongqing. The project has been developed in partnership with Singapore-based City Developments Limited (CDL) and Shenzhen-headquartered Vanke – one of the largest residential estate developers in the People’s Republic of China.
Eling Residences are spread across the highest plateau of Eling Hill, adjacent to Chongqing’s well-known Eling Park and overlooking the Yuzhong Peninsula—the central point of the Chongqing municipality—and the Yangtze River.
The 460,000-square-foot development contains 126 apartments organized into terraces that echo the slope of the site. The typology of the buildings changes with the hillside’s ascent, from several terraced configurations to a pair of freestanding, dome-shaped villas at the crest of the hill. This topographical design inspiration can be seen in the residences’ upward curvature as well as in the stepped organization of the individual buildings, which offer all apartments uninterrupted views of their surroundings.
Complementing the sloped low-rise buildings is an intricate landscape system, which interweaves terraces, gardens, trellises, overlooks, stairs, and promenades throughout the site. The combination of landscape and architecture works together to evoke the character of lush, hanging gardens, integrating the project site with the green oasis of Eling Park. The terraced levels maximize residents’ access to light, air, and greenery, while architectural screens partially shade individual apartments, extending living spaces outward into the garden landscape. A four-story clubhouse, pools, and additional recreational areas create a sense of community, echoing Safdie Architects’ commitment to humanizing scale and creating vibrant shared spaces.
In addition to other major projects in the region, Safdie Architects is currently also working on Raffles City Chongqing, a monumental mixed-use development known for the largest “horizontal skyscraper” in the world.