In the afternoon of June 4th, the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government convened an international soliciting outcome report conference of large-scale public projects’ design scheme in New District. Huang Chuping, a Standing Member of Provincial Party Committee and the secretary of Yichang Municipal Committee, emphasized that we should firmly establish the post-modern idea and give priority to build large-scale public projects as new landmarks of the modern megacity in accordance with the requirements of perfect combination of function, efficiency and aesthetic.

　　In the conference, representatives from Municipal Olympic Sports Center, Public Service Center, Municipal Plan Exhibition Hall and Municipal Museum exhibited the international soliciting outcome. The reporter learned from the conference that on January 21st, 2013, Yichang released an international soliciting announcement for designing schemes, openly accepting applications from design organizations. In February, 20 design organizations from China, America, France, Germany, Italy and other countries were selected from 220 applications. Then, after the presentation of technical documents from the 20 design organizations and site survey, 19 design outcomes were collected and nationwide well-known experts were invited to appraise and select the superior in May. On May 29th, the municipal relevant departments appraised and discussed the design outcome providing with supplement for some schemes.

　　Xia Wenhan, Director of Municipal Bureau for Urban Planning, introduced that among the invited well-known experts, there were two design masters, five doctoral supervisors, including Liu Jingliang---Honorary President of Tianjin Architecture Design Institute and National Engineering Survey and Design Master, and Guo Mingzhuo---the Consultant and Chief Architect of Guangzhou Design Institute and National Engineering Design Master. After appraisal, experts believed that 19 design outcomes were valid because they basically met the specific design requirements of the scheme soliciting document and the relevant provisions. The selected design schemes would be announced to the public timely and open to solicit opinions and suggestions from all walks of life.

　　After full listening to the speeches, Huang Chuping affirmed the high effectiveness of the international soliciting design schemes, which laid a solid foundation for the quick start of large-scale public projects in New District. He pointed out that large-scale public projects including Municipal Olympic Sports Center, Public Service Center, Municipal Plan Exhibition Hall and Municipal Museum are important carrier of city functions. To build "big and strong, excellent and beautiful" modern megacity, Yichang must adhere to the principle “Public Construction First”, and turn each large-scale public construction project preferentially urban complex first so as to stimulate the construction of the New District.

　　Huang Chuping required planning and constructing large-scale public projects with high standards in accordance with the requirements of perfect combination of function, efficiency and aesthetic. He said that the primary function of large-scale public projects was to serve the public. We should adhere to the idea of people-oriented, rational distribution and improving facilities, constructing a multilevel and diversified network system of public culture service, so as to serve the public better and constantly satisfy the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs. We should consider the public welfare and profit-making as a whole and simultaneously boost the construction of iconic buildings and supporting infrastructure to achieve the independence and prosperity of public projects. On the premise of fully satisfying the functional needs and economic and social benefits, we should improve image building and build large-scale public projects as new city landmarks so as to highlight the city aesthetics and promote the city grade.

　　Huang Chuping emphasized that for the planning and construction of large-scale public projects, we should firmly establish the post-modern idea and live up to four focuses--- focus on combining natural landscape, the historic culture and urban modernization, focus on shaping the city complex with cultural taste and artistic personality, focus on highlighting design philosophy of the sense of depth and layering, and focus on reflecting regional characteristics and economic benefits.

　　For the planning and construction of large-scale public projects, Ma Xuming, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Committee and the Mayor, stressed that we should properly handle the relationship between aesthetic and function, making it fully represent the idea of people-oriented. All these public projects should be convenient, comfortable, and easy to arrive. We should establish brand new design idea such as the post-modern idea, attach importance to supporting infrastructures of large-scale public projects, further optimize the design scheme, and highlight the people’s participation. The public projects should also embody the local culture characteristics and demonstrate local history. We should look to the future and the world, and establish the consciousness of high quality. We should accelerate our pace and create new models to push projects into construction as soon as possible. (Reporter Liu Zirong)