STACKED, SUSTAINABLE MIXED-USE HUB

Shenzhen Terraces, a mixed-use hub, designed by MVRDV is characterised by a strong urban component with a series of terraced areas that aim to maximise public life and an abundance of green spaces.

The project that forms the core of the thriving university neighbourhood in Shenzhen’s Longgang District comprises a stack of accessible plates containing the buildings’ programme, where all communication takes place on the shaded terraces to maximise public life. Designed with sustainability as a focus, the project’s green outdoor spaces mix together with a wide variety of activities—including a theatre, a library, a museum, a conference centre and retail—to make the site a hub for meeting, learning, leisure, culture and relaxation. The stacked horizontal terraces provide a valuable contrast to the high-rise towers all around, but they also perform an ecological function: overhangs provide shade and the round shape promotes wind flow and natural ventilation. The abundance of greenery, pedestrian paths and water features make the project one of the most sustainable projects in Shenzhen.

Combining a pedestrian-friendly landscape with fewer than 20 different programmes including public transport, it is poised to become a sustainable hub for the surrounding area. The abundant planting and water features reduce the local temperature and provide habitat for urban wildlife, while gardens and rainwater collection generate food and water resources.