Work has begun on Atkins’ riverside Pacific Dream Plaza in Qingdao, northern China.

The 300,000sq m mixed-use development will include a 30-storey hotel, 1,500 residential units, office and retail space built around a series of landscaped squares.

The development faces the river on two sides and the surrounding neighbourhood on the other two, creating particular challenges for the architects since there is no space for a “back door” service area.

The curved form evolved from concept studies developed by the architects and Atkins’ sustainability team at Faithful and Gould in Shanghai.

Peter Ridley, Atkins’ senior design director, said: “This project presented a fascinating challenge because the area was partially enclosed by a river but it also gave us a great opportunity to create a remarkable quarter in a new urban location.”