

Bo’ao is renowned as a medical science and technology innovation town in China’s Hainan province. The Hainan Bo’ao Le Cheng International Healthcare Incubator Hub project site is located at the southern end of and acts as a gateway to the town’s International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone. It aims to serve small- to medium-sized incubation and growth enterprises in the healthcare sector. A mix of apartments, retail, and green spaces work in tandem to make the development an attractive destination to live, work and play in.
The development consists of four blocks of seven-storey mid- to large-sized laboratories and offices that cater to various medical needs – from pharmaceutical research to specialist clinics. The two larger blocks have double service-cores that allow for flexibility in occupant mixes and office sizes. The smaller blocks have their single cores close to the inner courtyard of the development to maximise views out to the north waterfront. This arrangement of the blocks creates a central axis down the middle of the site, culminating in a seven-storey employee housing block, and a three-storey exhibition hall. The exhibition hall – containing a visitor centre, conference hall and administrative offices – welcomes visitors with a grand entrance.
The development emphasises occupants’ well-being by providing access to lush greenery and weaving buildings into nature. Outdoor spaces are integrated with the landscape at ground level and sheltered overhead to protect against Hainan’s hot and rainy climate. The ground floor commercial spaces are porous, connecting the central courtyard landscaping to the waterfront and green belt. Above, the floor plates of the medical blocks extend to the edges to allow occupants to enjoy the surrounding views. With the belief that proximity to nature provides a healing element, each block is also fully surrounded by landscaped decks at the second and third floors.
China Merchant Group
China
60,579 sqm
Completed in 2021
Architectural Design and Research Institute of Guangdong Province