Diller Scofidio + Renfro Set to Design Eco-Friendly Island in the South China Sea

It was announced yesterday that Diller Scofidio + Renfro has narrowly beaten Foster + Partners in a competition to design an eco-friendly island in the South China Sea. Ten practices from around the world participated in the competition, which was financed by the island’s owner, HNA Group. The goal is to create a holiday destination for travelers, one that features luxurious hotels, apartments, theme parks, and docks that can support two cruise ships at the same time. The Chinese-based group (which is involved in aviation, real estate, financial services, tourism, and logistics, among other services) asked the architecture firms to develop a distinct vision for the artificial island, to be located a mile off the coast of Haikou in southern China. Before DS+R was awarded the bid, a planned investment of $1.26 billion had already been allocated to build a cruise port and yacht harbor, among a wide range of other amenities. Construction is set to begin next year.

The jury was headed by architect Vicente Guallart, the cofounder of the Institute of Advanced Architecture and head of Guallart Architects. Ultimately, Guallart and his fellow judges selected the New York–based studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro for what they expressed as the clearest design of the group. “The firm will create a beautiful, iconic form rising naturally out the landscape, recalling the volcanic caldera of the area, and shape the island into a continuous structure that would be an extremely efficient compaction of resort, retail, and housing,” the jury said in a statement. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2027.