The King of Bhutan has announced a new economic hub that would see major buildings and infrastructure situated on vast crossings.
Set over 1,000 km2 in the south of the country, the Gelephu Mindfulness City would see key destinations within the city constructed on bridges, including a new airport, a university and a healthcare centre practicing Eastern and Western medicine.
Other bridges would host a Vajrayana Buddhist spiritual centre, allowing a glimpse into the daily practices of the monks and masters of mindfulness, a hydroponic and aquaponic greenhouse with ancient farming practices and modern agro-science, a market adorned with Bhutanese textiles, and a cultural centre to educate visitors about Bhutanese culture and customs.
The final bridge, a hydroelectric dam, will be constructed on the city’s western border with a step-well retaining wall that offers viewpoints, staircases for meditative walks, and a temple.
Visitors and pilgrims would be able to ascend and descend along countless individual routes to a visitor centre and temple nested on the face of the manmade cliff.
His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck presented the plans during his 116th National Day address on16 December, in line with the country’s goal to be the world’s first carbon-negative country.
Gelephu Mindfulness City has been designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), in collaboration with Arup and Cistri.
Nestled between mountains, forests, and rivers, Bhutan stands as one of the last biodiversity hotspots in the world, with 70% of the country covered in forest.
The designers say the Mindfulness City aims to amplify the country’s abundant biodiversity by creating a vibrant tapestry of interconnected ecosystems and lively neighborhoods shaped by the flow of the 35 rivers and streams that run through the site.
The resulting ribbonlike neighbourhoods resemble paddy fields, forming urban terraces that cascade down from the hills to the valley. The city increases in density from the rural and recreational highlands to the urban and dense lowlands.
Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director of BIG, says: “‘The Gelephu Masterplan gives form to His Majesty’s vision to create a city that becomes a cradle for growth and innovation while remaining founded on Bhutanese nature and culture.
“We imagine the Mindfulness City as a place that could be nowhere else. Shaped by waterways, Gelephu becomes a land of bridges, connecting nature and people, past and future, local and global.
“Like the traditional Dzongs, these inhabitable bridges turn into cultural landmarks, doubling as transportation infrastructure combined with civic facilities.”
Giulia Frittoli, Partner in Charge, BIG Landscape, says: “Inspired by the Bhutanese culture of respect and compassion for others and nature, the Mindfulness City is designed to enhance ecological systems, through an urban development that connects flora and fauna, as well as people and ideas.
“It becomes a testament of humanity’s inseparable bond with nature, and a global example of how to build a sustainable human presence on Earth.”
Although formally announced, a date for completion of the project has not been confirmed.
