Designs unveiled for a new mixed-use tower in Shenzhen

RSHP recently unveiled designs for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation Integrated Service Centre, a 45-storey, naturally ventilated tower with an integrated multi-level podium. Located at the heart of the Futian Free Trade Zone, south of the Shenzhen Central Business District, the scheme will provide a vibrant shopping, leisure, and workplace destination set within a cultural-led public realm podium, which will connect to the existing metro station below and street level piazza.

Originally, RSHP was presented with two briefs by different clients for a tower and a mixed-used podium on neighbouring plots. RSHP’s proposal was to merge the briefs by integrating the podium into the tower, providing one architectural identity, and introducing public realm and leisure facilities across the two developments.

Marco Tessaro, senior architect, RSHP, said “Our proposal responds with a clear vision to a complex and challenging programme by placing public space at the heart of the development”

With an area of 96,223m² and measuring 212m to the top of its central core, the tower’s plan adopts a butterfly layout with curved bays of east and west office wings.

 The 13,640m² podium is a retail and cultural building of 6 levels that integrates into the tower’s south side, with over 50% of its roof dedicated to green public space.

Richard Paul, partner, RSHP, said “The composition of the tower is elegantly poised above the interlocking podium, commanding a key position adjacent to both metro and bus station connections. Open and welcoming, the building celebrates its connectivity with the broader public realm and the park to the east, where the landscape and public access flow seamlessly over the roof of the podium. A complex brief with many stakeholders, which the client’s team have managed extremely well, resulting in a mixed-use brief providing for a truly mixed-use community.”

A concrete central core provides the tower’s primary lateral stability system with mega trusses located every 12 levels, these are positioned on refuge/service floors to avoid any impact on the occupied office spaces. This enables flexible, unobstructed floorplates and cantilevered external bays free of primary structure, to maximise uninterrupted views from the curved glazed corners of the office wings.A group of panoramic glazed lifts - an architectural feature not usually seen in the area - capitalise on the views and animate the building’s north and south facades.

With excellent views in all directions, the tower embraces the opportunities of the building’s location, capturing wonderful panoramic vistas of Shenzhen Bay and the mangrove areas. The publicly accessible roof terrace and viewing platform on the tower’s west wing make this project an exceptional vantage point to observe passing birds on their migratory path - a popular activity for Shenzhen citizens. 

The scheme is designed to have an operational energy consumption that will achieve China’s 3-star sustainability certification, equivalent to LEED Gold. The tower will be completely naturally ventilated: 10% of the façade is openable and the glazing incorporates vents to allow external air to circulate, significantly reducing the requirement for air-conditioning.

Currently onsite, the construction of the basement levels has just been completed, and the podium structure is in the process of being erected.

Structural Engineer | Local Design Institute | MEP |Landscape Consultant: CCDI Group 
General contractor: China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG)
Facade Consultant: EFC
Lighting Consultant: PUDI