MAD shares latest images of shenzhen bay cultural plaza as it nears completion

clustered monoliths take shape in shenzhen

The Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza, designed by MAD, is approaching completion in the city’s Houhai district. First unveiled in June 2020, the project has been documented through several phases of construction, with images released in February 2025 marking significant progress. MAD has now shared one final set of photographs by Zhu Yumeng ahead of the plaza’s expected opening later this year.

Designed as a public space between Shenzhen’s central business district and the bay, the development extends across 51,000 square meters. Its total built area of 188,000 square meters includes multiple exhibition halls, theaters, and public facilities. As construction concludes, the plaza will become a landmark of the larger Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, focusing on ecology, urban infrastructure, and public life.

images © Zhu Yumeng

mad’s green urban living room

From the outset, the architects at MAD emphasized the plaza’s role as a civic landscape. ‘Shenzhen Bay Culture Plaza should be a green urban living room that grows alongside the city’s development,’ notes lead designer Ma Yansong. The architecture merges public gathering areas with an expansive green roof that overlooks the city’s broader ecological network.

The plaza’s exhibition hall is embedded beneath rolling lawns, creating continuity with adjacent parks and green belts. Pedestrian bridges extend connections into surrounding neighborhoods and commercial districts, while the slopes and open courtyards above host walking paths, picnic areas, and spaces for informal social activity.

the program includes nine exhibition halls, a theater, a lecture hall, and an art collection library

Landform and Ecological Integration

By moving much of the program underground, MAD frames the surface as a landscape intervention rather than a conventional building. This approach is a reminder of Shenzhen Bay’s role as an ecological corridor along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, a habitat for migratory waterbirds. Planting strategies prioritize native vegetation, and a variety of tree species have been selected to enhance seasonal biodiversity while supporting avian feeding areas.

This new topography shifts with the seasons and offers shaded areas in summer and open clearings in winter. The landscape’s integration of ecological systems with public amenities means that the project stands as both a cultural space and a contributor to the bay’s environmental resilience.

the project was first unveiled in June 2020 and completion is expected by the end of 2025

Programmatic flexibility is a defining feature of MAD’s Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza. The central pool can be converted into an open-air theater for concerts or outdoor film screenings, and courtyards and green terraces provide platforms for markets, performances, and community events. A network of bicycle lanes and walking paths links the site to main city routes and extends its reach as an everyday, easy-to-access public amenity.

Visitors arriving from surrounding commercial centers will be able to cross directly into the rooftop park or descend into underground cultural spaces without encountering traffic.

The program includes the North Hall, South Hall, and Theme Hall, which together provide nine exhibition halls and approximately 50,000 square meters of display space. Additional facilities such as a 720-seat stone theater, a 330-seat lecture hall, and an art collection library contribute to the cultural program.

a main exhibition hall is enclosed by a green roof that connects to surrounding parks

the landscape integrates ecological restoration with public spaces

outdoor spaces include terraces, courtyards, and a pool that can become an open-air theater

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name: Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza

architect: MAD | @madarchitects

location: Shenzhen, China

status: under construction

previous coverage: June 2020, February 2025

photography: © Zhu Yumeng | @yumeng_zhu_coppakstudio

area: approximately 51,000 square meters
gross construction area: 188,000 square meters

principal partners: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano

principal associate partners: Tiffany Dahlen, Li Jian

design team: Zhang Chao, Li Cunhao, Zhang Kai, Xu Shaohua, Ma Yiran, Li Hui, Yoshio Fukumori, Zhang Yaohui, Sun Feifei, Li Gang, Ning Tong, Haruka Tomoeda, Natawat Warotdulyavat, He Xin, Zhang Jiahao, Li Leyuan, Cao Xi, Maria Soledad, Sun Jingyi, Gan Mengjia, Wang Fei, Pan Jifu, Xu Tianyang, Tian Jin, Zou Dengyu, Yang Xuebing, Li Xinyun, Huang Jinkun, Lin Zihan, Jiang Linyun, Luis Torres, Neeraj Mahajan, Zhang Tong, Wang Yiwei, Wei Yunzhao, Raquel Valdes, Emma Sanson, Niu Shaobo, Huai Wei, Kenji Hada.

client: Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports
construction: Nanshan District Construction and Public Works Bureau

construction agent: China Resources Land (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.