Yiwu World Trade Center
Mixed-Use Master Plan
Yiwu, China

500,000 SF •46,450 SQ M • WITH AEDAS

Davis Brody Bond envisioned a new World Trade Center located at a focal point of Yiwu’s central business district, on the north bank of the Yiwu River. In accordance with a previously developed district master plan, a commercial and residential mixed-use complex was proposed and successfully developed into two design approaches — a “Romantic“ and a “Rational” approach.

The approval of zoning changes and overall program distribution established the basis for further design development. Inspired by culture and close collaboration with a local team, the two approaches were refined into three final schemes: The Drum, The Lantern and The Woodcut Screen.

The Schemes utilize the unique boundaries of the site to create an urban corridor linking the Yiwu River waterfront to the city’s green parks to the north. The distribution of the commercial program along the street grid optimizes the permeability of the World Trade Center between the Central Business District and the natural landscape, and retains its identity as an iconic location in the city.