The ninth annual CREDAWARD took place on 7 – 8 July 2023 at the Shanghai Centre. We are pleased to share that various Benoy projects received two Gold Awards, one Silver Award, and six Merit Awards in different categories. This is a significant achievement, considering the strong competition.
The winning projects were:
■ Suzhou Joy Breeze – Gold Award and Merit Award for Comprehensive Commercial Project (Mixed-Use)
■ No. 6 Department Store Renewal - Gold Award and Merit Award for Future Project
■ Alibaba Jiangsu Headquarters Nanjing, China - Silver Award and Merit Award for Future Project
■ Wenzhou InCity MEGA
- Merit Award for Comprehensive Commercial Project (Mixed-Use)
■ Huafa Wuhan City Hub — Merit Award for Comprehensive Commercial Project (Mixed-Use)
■ Han Jardin - Merit Award for Future Project
On 7 July, the project leaders of Benoy’s shortlisted projects represented their teams and their work in a presentation and Q&A session. The project leaders had the opportunity to discuss their design concepts, the challenges they faced, and the solutions they implemented.
On the evening of 8 July, the Benoy team, led by Director and Head of Shanghai Studio Qin Pang, attended the gala awards dinner at the Shanghai Centre. The team consisted of Design Director Gregory Kovacs, Project Director of Shanghai Studio, Yejia Zhu, Head of Business Development, China, Emi Wang, and Architect Associate Director, Bo Shi. The grand awards dinner was held to celebrate China’s real estate industry with more than 500 industry guests. Congratulations again to the Benoy team, our clients, and all our collaborating partners!
The ninth CREDAWARD, hosted by founder DJSER, received over 850 submissions from over 300 organisations in 17 countries and regions around the world.
CREDAWARD is a comprehensive design award that brings together Chinese central state-owned enterprises and leading private traditional real estate developers, government agencies, brands, platforms owners and leading design organisations from all over the world. The aim of the award is to promote the development of the industry’s ecological chain and enhance design in the industry. The ninth CREDAWARD was supported by top Chinese and international institutions, including University College London (UK), Manchester School of Architecture (UK) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain).
Launched in 2014 by DJSER, the CREDAWARD is a prestigious international design award in the industry. The award has showcased a total of 8,401 projects from design organisations in 26 countries and regions. The organising committee adheres to the evaluation criteria of architectural aesthetics, environmental protection, user experience and economic benefits. The rigorous selection process, expert jury and stringent judging criteria, have earned the CREDAWARD a reputation as the industry’s most challenging award.
Benoy’s winning projects
Suzhou Joy Breeze
Gold Award and Merit Award for Comprehensive Commercial Project
Suzhou Joy Breeze is Joy City Holding’s new and upgraded product line, following Joy City. Defined as“cosy, fashionable, relaxing and stylish,” Suzhou Joy Breeze reflects the“ideal Gusu lifestyle” and is targeted at the urban middle classes, specifically the younger (aged 25 – 45) and older middle-class residents in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
The design concept was inspired by “joy breeze,” a quote taken from the Analects of Confucius. It incorporates the vibrancy and colours of spring, as well as Suzhou’s local history and culture. Benoy’s design puts into practice the concept of “breaking down the boundaries between indoors and outdoors and creating cohesive small-scale spaces in which people want to spend time.”
No. 6 Department Store Renewal
Gold Award and Merit Award for Future Project
This urban renewal will connect the No. 6 Department Store (23,000 m2), the interior commercial space above the fourth floor of the Huijin Department Store, and the Pacific Department Store (49,000 m2) via an overhead walkway. The overall format of the project is based on innovative retail and quality dining, complemented by cultural and art spaces.
The No. 6 High Line features an urban theatre which creates a dialogue with the city through theatre performances, art displays, and social events. The covered garden platform forms a multi-storey urban park, with the lower storey connecting the No. 6, Pacific Ocean and Huijin department stores, and the second level connecting to the Xujiahui corridor network. The platform also connects to the city’s underpasses, creating a welcoming, slow-paced walkway and public plaza with a panoramic view of the Xujiahui commercial district.
Alibaba Jiangsu Headquarters Nanjing, China
Silver Award and Merit Award for Future Project
The Alibaba Jiangsu Headquarters project is a major mixed-use development project in Nanjing, China. Spread across three plots and situated close to the interchange station for two metro lines, the 850,000 m2 development is expected to be completed by 2024.
The client wanted to showcase Alibaba’s collaboration with its business partners in a holistic ecosystem in the form of a service campus. This will be a pioneering campus showcasing innovative technologies, a community for end-users and service providers, and a network that seamlessly connects the digital and real worlds. Alibaba Jiangsu Headquarters and Industrial Park will contain functions such as office buildings, the head office, Ali Centre, retail spaces and serviced residences.
Wenzhou InCity MEGA
Merit Award for Comprehensive Commercial Project (Mixed-Use)
Benoy was commissioned to carry out the masterplanning of eight plots of land along Wenzhou’s Central Green Axis and provide architecture and interior design services for plots D29 and D31, known as the InCity MEGA project. The Wenzhou InCity MEGA project is located on the east side of the central green axis and is divided into a shopping mall and a retail street. The shopping mall is square-shaped and sits at the end of the development, while the 24-hour waterfront promenade and premium landscaped offices are long and narrow, stretching out along the green axis of the park. Orange-red landscaped steps wrap around the buildings like ribbons, connecting the street and the shopping mall in a natural, playful, and vibrant way. Benoy and the SCPG team combined their ingenuity to turn potential into reality and deliver this “star piece”.
Huafa Wuhan City Hub
Merit Award for Comprehensive Commercial Project (Mixed-Use)
Huafa Wuhan City Hub is located in Wuhan’s central business district, close to the Hankou Railway Station, which is the hub of China’s high-speed railway system. Benoy was commissioned to redesign the façade of the project while it was under construction, which meant ensuring that the construction cycle was not disrupted and that the original design structure was maintained. Benoy’s brief was to create a façade that would give the project a new look and enhance the overall level of architectural expression and spatial texture, all without any disruption to the established structure and the ongoing construction schedule.
The design of the project builds on the character of the streets in Wuhan’s historic Bund area, embracing the unique combination of Chinese and Western architecture and incorporating the human scale to create walkable, pedestrian-friendly streets and multi-level plazas that will become the new, sustainable community centre of Wuhan’s CBD.
Han Jardin
Merit Award for Future Project
Jardin is an iconic architectural landmark in the heart of Hanoi, Vietnam, and a recognisable building in this bustling metropolis. The 125,000 m2 development consists of two 45-storey residential towers, with a large mixed-use complex with office and retail space below.
The floating design creates a striking visual effect that breaks away from the traditional high-rise form, thus enhancing the city’s reputation for design innovation. Benoy acted as lead consultant, providing a full range of architecture services from concept to detailed design programme, as well as interior design services for the retail space, office building and two residential towers.
