Save this picture! Courtesy of 2A2 Design Department, BIAD

Beijing Institute of Architectural Design's (BIAD) 2A2 Design Department has unveiled their proposal for the Culture and Arts Center serving the newly developed Shekou Sea World area in Shenzhen. The design takes a rare attempt to optimize the interaction between commercial and cultural spaces, by taking advantage of the surrounding seascape.

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From the architects: This project is a commercial and cultural complex based on art museums, high-end business, and equipped with the artwork storage function as a whole. Project construction land area is 26,161-square-meters, while floor area is 28,778-square-meters. By the open public space and the water environment, and giving full play to the mountain and sea view as backdrop, a pleasant public park is constructed alongside the coastline, making a precious quiet place available in such hot, wet coastal city.

Save this picture! Courtesy of 2A2 Design Department, BIAD

Located at the core commercial area of Shekou Sea World Urban Complex in Shenzhen, the project adjoins Wanghai Road on north, at where you can overlook Nanshan Mountain, on south it has coastal shoreline, the starting point of the 15-kilometer coastal shoreline leisure promenade of Shenzhen; and is surrounded by Sea World commercial leisure bar blocks, super Grade-A office buildings, five-star hotels, luxury residential, large public green park and coastal landscape leisure shoreline.

General Layout

The eastern side of the project is closely adjacent to the city park which has abundant landscape resource. It is designed to bring in the main stream of people from east; the landscape pond is linked to the park at east, which will form a public space, while the water square is also an exhibition space, gradually leading people to the main building, art center. Landscape pond is connected with sea in sight and the main building of art center is reflected in the water form a quiet and peaceful atmosphere of art. The stream of people from north has direct access to the fourth floor of the exhibition hall through public stairs towards the sea that are also a sharing platform of appreciating the seascape and feeling sea breeze. The stairs stretch straight to south and connect with coastal landscape trails. The city roads in the west serve as the main circulation of art center.

Save this picture! Courtesy of 2A2 Design Department, BIAD

Plan / Section

The function of art center mainly comprises exhibition and display, art collections, commerce, storage, communication, culture and leisure etc. Space design focuses on the organization and design of public space and effective solution of partial space connection, especially the smoothness of display route and the three-dimensional needs of space in the exhibition hall. Moreover, considering the flexibility and enjoyment of space use, we’ve created the diversity and activeness of internal space activity by way of space blending. Put an emphasis on distribution space such as entrance space and public hall on each floor, etc. Design indoor and outdoor space of crowd activities in combination of squares, courtyards and roof terrace.

The first and second floor is primarily business-oriented, combined with galleries, museums and stores, with reference room, administrative office and restaurants; the third floor contains business, galleries, theaters and bookstores; the fourth and fifth floor is arranged with a large exhibition space, business, theater and ancillary service facilities. In the south, taking full advantage of the seascape resources, the first and second floor connects with the big outdoor steps, forming a sharing space with seascape; on third floor it is a theater of two-layer high, with the stage facing sea to be decorated flexibly in the background of sea; the restaurant on the fifth floor has an open view, convenient for people to appreciate seascape and feel the breath of the sea.

Save this picture! Courtesy of 2A2 Design Department, BIAD