BIG unveils ambitious masterplan for Penang South Islands

BIG, Hijjas, and Ramboll have been selected as the winners of the Penang State Government's international competition to design a masterplan for the Penang South Islands, which will provide locals with roughly 4.6 kilometers of public beaches, 600 acres of parks and 25 kilometers of waterfront.

Called "BiodiverCity," the design team's masterplan supports the Penang 2030 vision, focusing on livability, social and economic inclusive development, and environmental sustainability.

The project will span three islands to bring together a series of mixed-use districts of 15,000 to 18,000 residents across 50 to 500 acres, with an emphasis on the symbiotic relationship between reserves, parks, corridors and urban plazas.

Of the project, BIG founder Bjarke Ingels said in a statement:

"If Penang is defined by its rich cultural diversity and its abundant biodiversity, we would like to envision the Penang South islands as an archipelago where the two can coexist in a human-made ecosystem, expanding and enhancing one another."

The Channels is BiodiverCity's first island and will be constructed in three phases:

• Phase 1 will contain "Active Destinations" which include a wave pool and technology park;
• Phase 2 will be the "Civic Heart" that will house the research institutions of the area;
• Phase 3 will be a "Cultural Coast" that builds on the heritage and creative spirit of Penang's George Town region.

The Mangroves is the second and central island of the development and will be dedicated to businesses.

It is organized around a network of urban wetlands.

At the center of the Mangroves is the "Bamboo Beacon" where meetings will be hosted along with conferences and major events.

Through the introduction of green roofs, facades, public and private open spaces, the islands will be able to embrace the surrounding ecologies of the area.

The westernmost island of BiodiverCity is the Laguna, "an oasis for ecological living, organized around a central marina."

Here, eight smaller islands form a miniature archipelago that create floating, stilte and terraced housing to capitalize on the natural setting of Tanjung Gertak Sanggul, where much of the areas fisheries are located.

"BiodiverCity will be a new sustainable global destination where cultural, ecological and economic growth is secured and where people and nature coexist in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet at the southern shore of Penang Island," writes BIG in a recent press release.

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