The new business district designed by Heatherwick Studio has grandly opened in Xi'an, paying tribute to the craftsmanship and ceramic artistry of this ancient Chinese capital. Located south of the city's historic center, between the ruins of the Temple of Heaven and the Shaanxi Radio and Television Tower, the Xi'an Central Cultural Business District (CCBD) features commercial podiums with walkable streets and terraces that blend seamlessly with open plazas, office buildings, residential towers, hotels, green spaces, and a vertical park, offering a diverse experience.Spanning 155,000 square meters, ceramics are a core element of the district. The facades, columns, and curved beams are adorned with meticulously crafted ceramic panels, honoring the renowned Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The design team collaborated closely with local artisans to produce over 100,000 uniquely glazed ceramic tiles. After more than 2,000 experimental firings, including full-scale column prototypes, the resulting facade adds a playful yet refined beauty to the architecture, offering both visual and tactile delight.The design considers visual complexity at three scales: at the urban level, the project’s silhouette—inspired by the "upturned eaves and soaring corners" of Xi'an’s ancient temples—creates a distinctive skyline; at street level, overlapping frames and terraced landscapes form a series of viewpoints around the central plaza, offering panoramic city views; and at the doorstep scale, thoughtful details like ceramic planters and softly edged stone pavers enhance the sensory experience through natural landscapes and material textures.