McGill U opens architecture workstation in Hengqin

The McGill University Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture in Canada opened a global workstation in Hengqin New Area on June 5.

Located on the 25th floor of the Hengqin Headquarters Tower, the workstation is expected to open for global exchanges and attract expertise for Hengqin's architectural development.

Construction of its first big project, which has already begun on a manmade island near the east section of the Tianmu River, involves Peter Guo-hua Fu's design team. The landmark, adjacent to Hengqin Checkpoint with the University of Macau to the east, has some of the best scenery in the local area.

Unveiling ceremony [Photo courtesy WeChat account of Zhuhai Intelligent Industrial Park]

The building complex will accommodate the Hengqin New Area Planning Exhibition Hall, boutique hotel, offices and commercial facilities, yacht club, conference center, and showrooms. A water theater, laser show, and dancing fountains are to blend tourism, architecture, and commerce.

With a completion date of December 2019, the venue will host a series of biomedical, engineering, artificial intelligence, and big-data projects introduced by McGill University -- as stipulated in a tripartite partnership between the university, Administrative Committee of Hengqin New Area, and Da Heng Qin Innovation & Development, a local subsidiary of a State-owned company. 

McGill University in Montreal, Quebec was founded in 1821. It is noted for high-quality research. The School of Architecture, established in 1896 by Sir William C MacDonald, was renamed to recognize the Chinese architect Peter Guo-hua Fu's $12-million donation -- the largest donation in the school's history. He was once a student at McGill University and then a professor.

Skyscraper under construction by the Tianmu River [Photo by Li Jianshu / Zhuhai Daily]