MAD architects reveals plans for shenzhen bay culture park

MAD architects, led by ma yansong, has revealed its masterplan and architectural design for the ‘shenzhen bay culture park’. the ambitious complex covers an approximate area of 51,000 square meters, with a total building area of ​​182,000 square meters. the project includes the ‘creative design hall’ and the ‘shenzhen science and technology museum’, as well as expansive public green space along shenzhen’s waterfront. the development is expected to complete in 2023.

image by mir | main image by PROLOOG | all images courtesy of MAD architects

MAD’s scheme is formed by a sprawling green plaza that conceals a reception area, standard exhibition halls, public education space, library, auditorium, theater, café and supporting businesses. sunken into the terrain, these programmatic functions appear as an ‘earth-art landscape’. gently sloping roofs naturally fall into the ground, shaping several sunken courtyards of continuous height across the park.

set between the city of shenzhen and the quiet oceanfront, the culture park juxtaposes two transcendental scales of time — the ‘ancient’ and the ‘future’ — through the setting of an ethereal artistic urban landscape. ‘I want to create a surreal atmosphere, so that the people who visit, relax or exercise here have the possibility of engaging in a dialogue with the past and the future,’ explains ma yansong.

 ‘time and space are dissolved and placed against each other, manifesting a sense of weightlessnes, and unrestrained imagination.’

image by mir

conceived as a ‘three-dimensional citizen’s park’, the project not only serves as a 24-hour open public space, but also functions as a performance venue and exhibition area. a mirrored pool at the heart of the site forms an amphitheater that can accommodate up to 10,000 people. meanwhile, multiple platforms found within the landscape serve as outdoor performance venues and art exhibition areas.

image by PROLOOG

the project’s north and south pavilions sit on opposite sides of the axis, appearing as smooth monumental stones. on the top floor of the south pavilion, visitors can walk through the exhibition space to reach a viewing platform that overlooks shenzhen bay and the city skyline. the special exhibition hall’s highest space, which soars to a height of 30 meters, can accommodate a diverse display of large-scale installations, videos, multi-media, and performances.

image by PROLOOG

image by PROLOOG

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project info:

name: shenzhen bay culture park (creative design hall and shenzhen science and technology museum)
location: shenzhen, china
dates: 2018-2023
typology: exhibition halls, park
site area: approx. 51,000 sqm
building area: 182,000 sqm

design architect: MAD architects
principal partners-in-charge: ma yansong, dang qun, yosuke hayano
associate partners-in-charge: kin li, tiffany dahlen
design team: li cunhao, zhang chao, neeraj mahajan, sun shouquan, zhang yaohui, huang jinkun, maria corella, kenji hada, lin zi han, yu lin, yan ran, chen yi-en , liu hailun, pittayapa suriyapee, lei kaiyun, alessandro fisalli, edgar navarrete s., haruka tomoeda, lu zihao

executive architect: east china architectural design and research institute
structural consultant: arup engineering consulting (shanghai) co., ltd. shenzhen branch
façade consultant: RFR (shanghai) co., ltd.
interior design: shanghai xian dai architectural decoration & landscape design research institute co., ltd.
lighting design: beijing ningxhijing lighting design co., ltd.
signage design: kenya hara (nippon design center)
acoustic design: guangdong qiyuan architectural engineering design institute co., ltd.
traffic consultant: paimeng transportation consulting (shanghai) co., ltd.
traffic assessment: china urban development institute co., ltd.
model photography: guo xuan