Hong Kong-based property developer Hang Lung Properties has opened Westlake 66 in Hangzhou, bringing forward a 390,200m2 mixed-use development that reinforces the city’s position as one of China’s most active consumption-driven urban centres.
The project, located in the Wulin Central Business District, has launched following a soft opening that began on 28 April, with a phased rollout strategy extending across retail, office and hospitality components. Office towers within the scheme have already been coming online since late 2025, taking a staged delivery approach that aligns with tenant absorption and operational ramp-up.
Positioned between West Lake and the Grand Canal, the development integrates retail, workspace, hospitality and public realm within a single masterplan. The location, within one of China’s wealthiest provinces by GDP and purchasing power, underpins the project’s focus on high-spending, experience-oriented consumers.
Retail forms the scheme’s first phase, with approximately 105,900m2 of leasable space across around 250 stores. At opening, leasing has exceeded 90%, with a tenant mix weighted towards lifestyle and experiential brands. About a third of these are first-to-market concepts, with further store openings scheduled through 2026 as the asset stabilises.
The office component spans approximately 95,600m2, targeting both multinational and domestic occupiers. One tower is already fully leased and operational, while the remaining buildings are being introduced in phases. A Mandarin Oriental Hangzhou, the brand’s first in Zhejiang province, is scheduled to open in early 2027 with 194 rooms, adding a luxury hospitality layer to the development.
The scheme was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), which approached the site as a continuous landscape rather than a collection of separate buildings. A pedestrian greenway runs through the development, linking retail, offices and the future hotel while reconnecting the site with its surroundings.
At its centre is a 10,000m2 elevated public realm, described as a sky park and also as “The Oasis”. It functions as the main circulation spine, creating an open-air environment within the dense CBD, designed to encourage movement, dwell time and interaction across retail and office uses.
Architecturally, the development draws from the textures and topography of West Lake, with stepped terracotta façade modules creating a unified visual identity across the complex. The façade system is designed to evolve over time, balancing continuity with adaptability across uses.
Heritage integration forms a further layer of the masterplan. Song and Yuan dynasty relics discovered on site are being incorporated into an in-mall exhibition space, while two historic buildings are being restored and will reopen later in 2026 as part of the wider cultural programme.
Environmental measures include renewable energy integration and the use of low-carbon concrete blocks, described as a first for commercial developments in mainland China and Hong Kong. The project has secured certifications including LEED, WELL, BREEAM and China’s Green Building Design Label.
Hang Lung positions Westlake 66 as part of its “Pulse of the City” approach, which centres on mixed-use destinations that combine retail with public and cultural space. A further phase in partnership with Baida Group is planned, which would expand retail space by about 40% and extend street frontage beyond 200m, with completion targeted for 2028.
In Hangzhou, where consumer demand and urban development continue to reinforce each other, projects of this scale are increasingly shaped by how they integrate commerce with public life and the existing city fabric.
