A Horizontal Public Realm Amid High-Rise Towers
A youth innovation and entrepreneurship hub, the Qianhai Shenzhen–Hong KongSZHK Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub, has been completed in Shenzhen‘s Qianhai district, China. Occupying a site of approximately 90,000m², the project is a low-rise mixed-use development embedded within a dense field of high-rise buildings. It combines workspaces for tech talent with public amenities for local communities, creating an environment where innovation and everyday life coexist.
The design is based on the concept of the “Urban Living Room.” Sixteen buildings are linked by a three-level skydeck, above which gardens and flexible workspaces extend. In contrast to the surrounding high-rise urban fabric, the horizontally arranged building cluster establishes a spatial structure centered on movement and interaction. Workspaces are designed to accommodate open-plan, cellular, and hybrid configurations, while an integrated metro and bus station within the site strengthens connections to nearby residential areas.
At the center of the development, a series of public spaces accommodates diverse activities. The central square hosts gatherings, sports, and leisure, while the surrounding park integrates retail and community facilities to encourage informal interaction. At the park entrance, a cultural and arts facility contains a multipurpose hall, exhibition spaces, and offices. It functions as a platform for presenting locally developed technologies and cultural content and was used as an exhibition venue during the 2023 Shenzhen–Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture.
A people-centered strategy informs the wider masterplan. A 350m × 350m brownfield site has been reorganized into a pedestrian-oriented environment, with landscaped courtyards, urban gardens, tree-lined streets, and water features distributed throughout. Terraced landscapes, sky gardens, and vertical greenery introduce multiple spatial layers for experiencing vegetation, while strengthening the relationship between buildings and open space. Energy-efficient operational systems have been implemented, and the project received an Excellence grade under BEAM Plus for Management and Energy Use. Colored canopies act both as spatial orientation devices and shaded areas for outdoor events and community activities. Multi-level public spaces, internal transit facilities, and a continuous green network are interwoven, forming a pedestrian-based environment where work, culture, and leisure coexist.
Project: Qianhai SZHK Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, Northern District / Location: Shenzhen, China / Architect: RSHP / Project directors: Lennart Grut, Ben Warner, Richard Roger / Project Leads: Stephen Spence, Harjinder Singh, Francis Yuen / Project team: Juan Carpio, Christophe Dembinski, Alba Fernández Arias, Alexandria Fu, Dan Hanna, Angel Hsiao, Lu-Min Guo, Virginia Moreno, Marian San Emeterio, Harjinder Singh, Stephen Spence, Pei-Yi Lin, Jasmine Yue, Francis Yuen, Yue Zheng / Co-architect: Hong Kong Huayi Design / Project management: China Overseas Construction / Structural and services engineer: Hong Kong Huayi Design / Landscape architect: AOYA-HK / Cost Consultant: China State Construction International Co., Ltd / Fire Consultant: Hong Kong Huayi Design Consultants / Contractor: China State Construction International Co., Ltd / Client: Shenzhen Qianhai Industrial Development Group Ltd. Co. / Use: mix-use / Site area: 90,000m² / Bldg. scale: typically six stories above ground; landmark_eight stories above ground / Height: 7m / Cost: GBP 167 million / Design and construction: 2018-2023 / Completion: 2023 / Photograph: ©WeiStudio69 (courtesy of the architect)
