Shenzhen Terraces
Shenzhen, China
Shenzhen Terraces, is a new part of the city that will form the core of the thriving university neighbourhood in Universiade New Town, Longgang District in Shenzhen, acting as a new three-dimensional urban living room. The 101,300 sqm, mixed-use development for the Shimao Shenzhen/Hong Kong International Centre, contains more than 20 programs, including a small gallery, library, and outdoor theatre. Shenzhen Terraces aims to bring vitality and innovation to the area through a seamless integration of landscape, leisure, commerce, and culture. Located in the heart of the Longgang district at the meeting point of high-rise housing, commercial complexes, and sports and educational facilities, the site is ideally located to serve as a defining public space within the region.
The central concept of Shenzhen Terraces is to merge the existing landscape with the new development by using stacked plateaus for its various buildings. The predominantly horizontal lines of the terraces contrast with the vertical lines of the surrounding high-rises to bring about a sense of tranquillity through their slow curving shapes.
Shenzhen is a metropolis defined by hills of lush vegetation. The topography of the city has allowed the presence of a number of ecological cores which act as islands. The design of the landscape is inspired by such green pockets, overgrown with multi-layered sub-tropical vegetation. Different pebbles compose a design that showcases and enhances local biodiversity, while offering a variety of open space programmatic opportunities.
The definition of the planting species has been led by a research aimed to re-propose the sub-tropical forest typology, bringing wild nature into the plot with several lush pockets which will contribute to make Shenzhen a city where naturare percolates, fostering a sharper encounter between the city and the wilderness.
Bringing wild nature into the plot with several lush pockets will contribute to make Shenzhen a city where naturare percolates, fostering a sharper encounter between the city and the wilderness.
