Open Call: Solicitation for the Creative Planning and Architectural Concept Design of Qingdao Laoshan Culture & Arts Center

I. Project Background

In the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, it was pointed out that “to build a modern socialist country in all aspects, we must adhere to the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, improve the system of modern public cultural services, and enhance our cultural self-confidence and self-improvement.” The 12th CPC Congress of Shandong Province proposed to “build high-level areas for the inheritance and development of excellent traditional culture, including the Yellow Sea and Bohai Economic Circles, Qufu, Zibo, Taishan and Laoshan, etc.” The 13th CPC Congress of Qingdao City proposed to “prosper and develop socialist culture, enhance the city's soft power, expand and improve the supply of its public cultural services, optimize the allocation of public cultural resources, improve and upgrade public cultural facilities, and create a number of iconic cultural landmarks.” The 13th CPC Congress of Laoshan District proposed to “build a scientific and technological innovation base and an international talent community linking the world in the main positions on both sides of Zhangcun River and Zhuzhou Road.”

The project is located in a landmark area of Qingdao’s three-year action plan of urban renewal and urban construction, as well as an important position where Laoshan District will build a demonstration window area of a modern socialist international metropolis in the new era. It will be built into a cultural and art complex in the new era integrating the functions of book reading, cultural performance, art exhibition, exhibition and performance of intangible cultural heritage, artistic creation and international exchange with a high positioning, high-standard design and high-level construction, which can further improve the level of public cultural services, enrich the cultural connotation of the city, and show the style of Qingdao City in the new era.

II. Design Content

The design contents of the two phases of this Solicitation are creative planning and architectural concept design:

• Creative planning & prequalification phase: The creative planning proposal includes, but is not limited to the five aspects of project positioning, functional planning, planning layout, internal & external flows and architectural intent. It should sort out the key issues before the architectural concept design, and propose unique creative planning and architectural intent.
• Architectural concept design phase: With reference to advanced cases at home and abroad, integrate the functions of library, cultural center and art gallery in terms of architectural space, make the individual building based on local characteristics and the overall design adhere to  "global vision and international outlook", fully reflect the role of the industry flag and benchmark, and fully integrate with post-operational management, so as to bring out the best social effects.

Note:

1. The construction cost is provisionally based on a comprehensive unit price of approximately RMB15,000/m². 

2. For specific requirements, please refer to the Appendix: Design Brief.

III. Organization

This Solicitation is an open call, and design teams with good reputations and relevant design experience are welcome to apply. There are three specific phases:

Phase 1: Creative Planning and Prequalification (about 33 days)

Release the announcement, working rules and design brief of this Solicitation, globally welcome design teams (including design consortium, similarly hereinafter) to participate, and a site visit and Q&A session will be organized by the Organizers for interested design teams.

After the design teams submit their application materials (including the creative planning proposal and commercial documents), experts will be invited to conduct a comprehensive evaluation on the commercial documents (including company biography, performance and experience of the key designers and team, etc.) and the creative planning proposal (including creative planning and architectural intent, similarly hereinafter). And four shortlisted design teams and two alternative design teams will be selected (in case a shortlisted design team withdraws, the alternatives may take its place in order ).

Phase 2: Architectural Concept Design (about 60 days)

The Organizers will organize another site visit and Q&A session, and then the shortlisted design teams will carry out the concept design and submit the design deliverables according to the specified deadline and the requirements of the design brief. Well-known experts in the field of design will be invited to form the jury panel, who will review the deliverables and select the top three candidates (without ranking) and the fourth place. Taking full account of the evaluation comments, the Organizers will determine the final winning proposal in accordance with relevant procedures.

Phase 3: Integration and Detailing (about 45 days)

If the winning proposal is selected for implementation, this winning design team will be given priority to participate in the subsequent design integration and detailing (to the depth of the architectural scheme design and preliminary design of the architectural profession), and assist the Organizers to complete the submission of the proposal for approval, while the deliverables should be able to guide the subsequent construction design.

IV. Timetable

(Note: The above timetable adopts Beijing time and is subject to adjustment by the Organizers.)

V. Relevant Fees

The relevant fees of the Solicitation are set as follows:

First prize: with the award of RMB One Million Two Hundred Thousand Yuan (¥1,200,000); next, the winner will be given priority to participate in the subsequent design integration and detailing (to the depth of the architectural scheme design and preliminary design of the architectural profession) according to relevant procedures, and assist the Organizers to complete the submission of the proposal for approval, while the deliverables should be able to guide the subsequent construction design; for this stage, the design fees are about RMB Four Million Eight Hundred Thousand Yuan (¥4,800,000).

Second prize: with the award of RMB Six Hundred Thousand Yuan  (¥600,000).

Third prize: with the award of RMB Five Hundred Thousand Yuan (¥500,000).

Fourth prize: with the award of RMB Four Hundred Thousand Yuan (¥400,000).

VI. Eligibility

The specific registration requirements of this Solicitation are as follows:

Domestic design firms applying individually should have a Class A qualification (including Class A design firm) or above in architectural design, and should have experience in the design of public cultural and arts buildings with a ground floor area of over 30,000m².

Foreign firms and subsidiaries or branches of foreign investors established within China are required to have experience in the design of public cultural and arts buildings with a ground floor area of over 30,000m².

Each consortium should have no more than 2 members, at least one of which should have a Class A qualification (including Class A design firm) or above in architectural design, and should have experience in the design of public cultural and arts buildings with a ground floor area of over 30,000m²; the same design firm can not jointly apply with two or more design firms.

For specific requirements, please refer to the Appendix: Working Rules.

VII. Registration

Before 17:00, July 8, 2023 (Beijing Time), the applicants shall visit the website: https://jinshuju.net/f/hqwvNO or scan the following QR code to fill in the registration information for online pre-registration.

Moreover, the applicants shall deliver the complete registration documents to the Cost Department, 17F, Qingdao Financial Centre Building, No. 15 Miaoling Road, Laoshan District, Qingdao City (addressee: Mr. Luan, Tel: +86 18669780139) by 17:00, July 26, 2023 (Beijing time), with the cover marked with “Registration Documents of the Solicitation for the Creative Planning and Architectural Concept Design of Qingdao Laoshan Culture & Arts Center” and the contents including the printed commercial documents, printed creative planning proposal, display posters, and their electronic files (in CD or USB flash drive).

(Note: Please refer to the Appendix: Working Rules for details.)

VIII. Organizers

Organizers: Culture and Tourism Bureau of Laoshan District, Qingdao Municipality

Bureau of Natural Resources of Laoshan District, Qingdao Municipality

Qingdao Global Wealth Center Development and Construction Co., Ltd.

IX. Information Disclosure Platform

Please visit the following websites for more information on the Solicitation:

Website of Laoshan District Government (http://www.laoshan.gov.cn)

Shenzhen Center for Design (https://www.szdesigncenter.com)

X. Information Request & Registration Enquiry

Design teams please send an email with company name and contact details to the enquiry email box for information before commencement of work.

Contact: Mr. Zhang

Tel: +86 18600800999

Email: [email protected]

Link for downloading the Design Brief and Working Rules of this Solicitation:https://pan.baidu.com/s/1tncLq... Code: msci