Snøhetta designs waterfront district to echo mountain landscape in Borneo

Architecture studio Snøhetta has unveiled designs for a mixed-use coastal development “reminiscent of a mountain range” in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Set to encompass 114,000 square metres, the Jesselton Docklands development will sit at the coastal waterfront of the city in northern Borneo.

Organised around an inner marina, the complex will spread across three plots comprising mixed-use residential and commercial towers, hotels and offices designed by Snøhetta to echo the nearby Mount Kinabalu.

“This master plan redefines Kota Kinabalu’s interface with its waterfront, transforming the former port into a civic and cultural anchor for the city,” the studio said.

“By integrating resilient infrastructure with the island’s ecological and cultural identity, Jesselton Docklands positions the city as a strategic nexus within the Southeast Asian archipelago, bridging local heritage with global connectivity,” Snøhetta added.

“Residential and mixed-use towers create a skyline reminiscent of a mountain range, as a nod to the famous Mount Kinabalu, visible from the waterfront”.

The complex’s water-side entrance will be demarcated by two arched buildings that slope down as a “welcoming portal” into the development.

A raised bridge stretches across the entrance, which opens up to an inner marina and local ferry terminal set to feature a cascading design that descends to the waterfront.

“This picturesque setting blends lush vegetation, water features, and architectural elements that represent the character of Kota Kinabalu,” Snøhetta said.

Also included in the Jesselton Docklands development will be homes that pay homage to local water villages, which will be raised on stilts above meandering water channels.

Renders of the proposal reveal weaving, wood-clad walkways, bridges and platforms that connect to tapered buildings with gridded and colourful facades.

This includes a 732-metre-long walkway described as a “spine” that will run alongside the development to connect the buildings across its three plots.

According to Snøhetta, the complex was conceived as a “hydrological interface” able to manage stormwater through the integration of vegetated channels, rain gardens and retention landscapes.

Other projects by the studio include the renovation of a 1960s office building in Milan and the design of a Dutch city hall with a “powerful silhouette”.

The images are by Aesthetica.

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