The work winning the second prize in the competition  Photo: Courtesy of UED

After running for more than half a year, the third International Urban Planning and Design Competition has announced the winning designs that will transform an old factory in Handan, North China's Hebei Province, into a modern residential hub. A French architectural firm won the first place.

Two teams led by academicians at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Wang Jianguo and Zhuang Weimin, tied for the second place.

The competition started in January, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak at the end of that month, the selection, which consisted of several sections including on-site surveys, visiting exhibitions and team presentations, was conductedby a mix of online and offline means. 

Dominique Perrault Architecture, the first place winners from France, plan to divide the old industrial compound into four sections - Water, Green City, Heritage and Hotel Metropole - to rebuild a future Handan with a focus on diversity and livability.

The competition aims to explore practical ways in which an industrial city can transform itself and promote urban renewal efforts, as well as offer the fruits of successful experiences to other Chinese cities, Chinese architectural magazine UED, one of the organizers of the competition, said.

During the announcement conference, UED chief editor Peng Lixiao noted that urban renewal has become a new areas of growth in China's urbanization efforts, and industrial heritage is one of the important parts of urban renewal.

In addition to Chinese experts, the judge panel was composed of experts from other countries such as Australia and South Korea.