zaha hadid architects (ZHA) has won first place in a competition to design smartphone manufacturer OPPO’s headquarters in shenzhen, china. conceived as four interconnected towers reaching a height of 200m (42 floors), the 185,000 square-meter design incorporates two towers of flexible, open-plan spaces linked by a 20-storey vertical lobby, and two external service towers providing vertical circulation.

images courtesy of zaha hadid architects (ZHA)

the 185,000 square-meter design incorporates two towers of flexible, open-plan spaces linked by a 20-storey vertical lobby, and two external service towers providing vertical circulation. zaha hadid architects developed the site as a new civic space for the city, a public walkway diagonally traverses its centre. OPPO’s headquarters will also include a landscaped plaza, art gallery, shops, restaurants and a direct link to the adjacent station of shenzhen’s subway network.

scheduled to break ground later this year, the amorphous towers are orientated to maximize the views over shenzhen bay, tapering inwards at lower levels creating large civic spaces at street level. the 10th-floor sky plaza will provide local residents, visitors and OPPO employees with varied dining, leisure and entertainment facilities, while the rooftop sky lab will be a popular public space with spectacular views over one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

the abundance of natural light, varied working environments and diversity of routes for staff and visitors to move through the building are all conducive to creative engagement and spontaneity. meanwhile, large atrium spaces unite all occupants through visual connectivity, helping to foster collaboration between different departments of the company.

following LEED gold certification of ZHA’s leeza soho tower in beijing and generali tower in milan, the new OPPO headquarters has been designed to target LEED gold from the US green building council. it has been developed with 3D building information modelling and energy management systems to optimise efficiencies. it’s planned to complete in early 2025.

OPPO launched their first phone in 2008, growing to become china’s leading smartphone manufacturer and the fifth largest worldwide with over 40,000 employees in more than 40 countries. pioneering new communication technology in smart devices and internet services, OPPO has established six research institutes, four research & development centres, and a global design studio. accommodating this growth, OPPO’s new headquarters will continue their commitment to connectivity through design.

project info

project team

architect: zaha hadid architects (ZHA)

design: patrik schumacher and christos passas

ZHA project directors: charles walker (commercial director), christos passas (design director), satoshi ohashi (ZHA china director)

ZHA project associates: hussam chakouf (competition lead), juan liu, yang jingwen

ZHA project designers: melhem sfeir (competition lead), duo chen, katerina smirnova

ZHA project team: massimo napoleoni (facade specialist), aleksander bursac, mihai dragos-porta, vera kichanova, ying xia, che-hung chien, meng zhao, qi cao, alex turner (graphic designer)

ZHA workspace analysts: uli bloom, philip siedler, lorena espaillat bencosme

ZHA project support: tatiana chembereva, camille kelly

design competition shortlist (stage 2):

zaha hadid architects (ZHA)

bjarke ingels group (BIG)

skidmore, owings & merrill (SOM)

rogers stirk harbour + partners (RSHP)

henning larsen architects HK