The “Stargazing, Design for Good” charity event has demonstrated how intentionally designed environments can serve as powerful therapeutic tools, transforming the “Starlight Park” at China Merchants Xuanwu Garden City into a profound sanctuary for children battling serious illnesses and their families.
Co-hosted by the Rende Foundation, Ark Love Multiplied Care, and global design firm Woods Bagot, alongside four collaborative design practices, the event introduced a new paradigm in community-focused development — one that places human experience and emotional well-being at the forefront of architectural innovation.
Starlight Park served as a living example of how design can become a medium for healing. Its carefully curated elements — including the symbolic Tree of Life installation and the immersive Interstellar Exploration Journeyfeaturing Interstellar Station and Galactic Dreamscape zones — created a scientifically informed, therapeutic environment that nurtured emotional recovery and social connection.
“This project embodies our commitment to social responsibility by creating genuine community value rather than purely commercial space,” said Siyuan Cheng, Design Lead from China Merchants Nanjing. “From the rooftop astronomical observatory to the pet paradise, every element was conceived to serve human needs first.”
As a lasting tribute, the children’s collaborative artwork — titled The Scarf of Love — will be draped over the Hug of Love sculpture at the main entrance, integrating the memory of the event into the development’s permanent identity.
“Our vision was to create an urban window to the cosmos — particularly for children,” explained Qingfeng Zeng, Interior Design Lead at Woods Bagot Shanghai. “We designed a ‘healing journey’ that guides visitors gradually from the bustling mall areas upward toward the celestial observatory, creating a psychological transition from everyday life to cosmic wonder.”
Zeng added that seeing the positive emotional response from children facing health challenges has been deeply affirming. “It confirms our belief that meaningful design must balance aesthetic excellence with deep empathy — creating spaces that are not only beautiful but genuinely healing.”
The event also demonstrated how compassionate design can thrive even amid economic uncertainty.
“Seeing our spaces activated with such warmth and purpose — especially witnessing the courage of these children — is deeply inspiring,” said Carsten Lange, Principal at Woods Bagot. “This experience strengthens our resolve to continue creating socially meaningful projects despite market challenges.”
Pearl Huang, Woods Bagot Director and volunteer with Ark Love Multiplied Care, summarized the broader implications:
“This success compels us to strengthen our commitment to design for good — to create enduring, welcoming, and collaborative spaces that build community bonds and demonstrate that our responsibility extends far beyond commercial success.”
The project represents a microcosm of the evolving understanding of sustainable development — one that balances environmental priorities with profound human and social considerations, supported by both design consultancy and the developer’s practices.
By creating a genuine therapeutic sanctuary, the project demonstrates that the highest form of sustainability arises when design serves not only economic interests but also delivers lasting positive value for human wellbeing, animals, the environment, and the broader community.
The evening culminated in a powerful collective stargazing moment, with participants gathering in Starlight Park to peer through telescopes — a symbolic affirmation that thoughtful, human-centered design can help us all reach for something greater, while remaining grounded in compassion and dignit
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