Nanjing Constitution Park by azLa: A Civic Landmark Merging Architecture, Nature, and Legal Education

A Monument to Constitutional Spirit

Designed by azLa Architecture, the Nanjing Constitution Park and Urban Living Room at Green Expo Park marks a significant milestone in China’s civic space evolution. It is not only an architectural response to the “rule of law” initiative but also a public cultural destination rooted in constitutional education, urban ecology, and community interaction.

Historical Context and Construction Timeline

In response to the CPC’s 8th Five-Year Legal Education Plan, the park was conceptualized to promote Xi Jinping’s thoughts on constitutional governance. Construction began on National Constitution Day, December 4, 2021, and was completed within a year—opening to the public on December 4, 2022.

Strategic Site Selection in Nanjing's Green Expo Park

The park is strategically located within Green Expo Park, along the Yangtze River, from Jiangsu Grand Theatre to Jiajiang section. Covering a land area of 64,530 sqm, with a total built-up area of 31,162 sqm, the site integrates natural topography, existing public amenities, and Metro Line 9 connectivity—creating a future-ready legal and cultural hub.

Design Concept: Three Synergies

1. Legal Culture Meets Nature

The project harmonizes constitutional symbolism with riverside ecology, turning the riverbanks of the Yangtze into a living classroom. As a result, the park becomes a spatial metaphor for law’s coexistence with life, a model of legal landscape design in urban China.

2. Legal Learning Through Daily Living

By embedding the legal narrative into the urban living room—a multifunctional public space with sports, leisure, education, and social events—the park promotes civic engagement through interaction, not instruction.

3. Constitutional Landscape Meets Existing Ecology

Without altering the park's original layout, the design incorporates Constitution Plaza, Flag Square, Oath Plaza, and Water Courtyard, weaving legal symbolism into the existing landscape, infrastructure, and pathways.

Urban Integration: The “Living Room” Vision

Nanjing’s Charming Riverfront 2035 Plan proposed the development of nine "urban living rooms" along the Yangtze. Constitution Park anchors the Green Expo Park City Living Room, forming a civic core surrounded by Jiangsu Grand Theatre, Olympic Sports Center, and Eco-Tech Island. The result is a continuous urban cultural and ecological corridor of over 3 kilometers.

The Cultural and Sports Axis: Civic Continuity in Space

The Hexi Cultural and Sports Axis, a major urban development feature since 2004, connects Constitution Park with major landmarks, including the Olympic Sports Centre and Jiangsu Grand Theatre. The park’s layout reinforces ceremonial movement, legal monumentality, and urban-riverfront connectivity—culminating in a new symbolic heart for west Nanjing.

Symbolic Design: Square and Circle Metaphors

Rooted in Chinese cosmology (“heaven is round, earth is square”), the park uses geometry to convey stability, unity, and authority. At the core lies the Circular Constitution Exhibition Hall (diameter: 100m), encircling a Square Constitution Plaza for public ceremonies like the constitutional oath and coming-of-age rituals.

The facade, likened to a red lantern, shines at night with LED-lit concrete pathways named the “Light of the Constitution”—a contemporary tribute to tradition.

Digitally Encoded Memory: Spatial Numerology

Numerical references encode constitutional milestones into space:

• 8.2m height for the 1982 Constitution
• 5.4m references the 1954 Constitution
• 12.4m flag matrix height honors Constitution Day on Dec 4
• 100m ring and 82m internal diameter symbolize national unity and history

These metrics subtly embed national memory within the visitor’s spatial experience.

Civic Space and Environmental Vitality

The landscape architecture emphasizes openness and community. A large open lawn, immersive ginkgo-lined pathways, and a series of sunken courtyards create informal zones for play, rest, and public discourse. Public programming is supported by underground commercial, cultural, and transit infrastructure, connected directly to Metro Line 9.

From Architecture to Activism

At its heart, the park does not merely represent the Constitution—it activates it. By turning legal ideology into landscape, it becomes a living symbol of Chinese civic life, encouraging visitors to reflect, engage, and celebrate the country’s democratic and legal journey.

All Photographs are works of Bowen Hou