N+ Masterplan, Ningbo China

N+ is a master plan for a new quarter for the fashion industry for the Chinese city of Ningbo, a seaport city in Zhejiang province, Eastern China. It was the result of research undertaken by Martin of PLP Architecture on the evolution of luxury brand presence in China. At its core N+ functions as an education and research and development platform for China’s fashion industry, giving exposure to local design talent and access to global brands and expertise. It responded to a number of key research questions: How can China’s transition from a manufacturing base to a design powerhouse be promoted? How can the penetration of European brands into China be speeded up, China be given access to global brands and expertise and local design talent be given exposure? How can the idea of spontaneous encounter be turned into urban form? How can sustainability goals be met innovatively? The master plan proposed four districts: the campus, hutong, high rise and culture districts, each of which cater to different needs of international fashion brands in a single setting. It launched a new real estate concept and architectural typology, the ‘Brand Embassy’, and encouraged brands to curate events, activities and experiences using strategic spaces within the master plan, called ‘Content Boxes’. It devised a novel methodology and bespoke environmental index for achieving sustainability goals. For these novel ideas, N+ won the Big Urban Projects Category of the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards in 2012 and a 2013 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Atheneum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Art Design and Urban Studies. The award was made to 60 projects from 20 nations selected by a distinguished group of architects and academics. In Sept 2013, the award-winning projects were exhibited at the 14th International Biennial of Architecture in Buenos Aires and will then tour Europe.