OMA

Prince Plaza . Shekou

OMA

Shekou, developed as an industrial area in the 1970s to drive the economy of Shenzhen, has witnessed the transformation of the city from an industrial port into a financial and cultural hub. In search of a new position in Shenzhen's latest wave of development, Shekou does not aim to become another CBD like Futian, Qianhai and Houhai, but a unique area with a juxtaposition of old industrial buildings converted into offices for creative industries, and new shopping malls and international offices.

Prince Plaza is confronted with a mix of urbanity within Shekou: how does the building integrate with the existing industrial fabric and the new commercial and office developments? How does Prince Plaza benefit from its location at the waterfront, with verdant mountains behind it? Located at the prominent mountain sea view corridor, Prince Plaza comprises a horizontal podium accommodating retail and a stepped tower at one end of the podium, accommodating offices. The podium stretches the full length of the orthogonal site, while the 200m tower aligns with the view corridor without obstructing it, becoming a beacon that guides the view from the waterfront to the mountain.
In response to the scale of the site, the tower is split into two separate bars that share a common core. Each bar is broken down through the insertion of a sky deck, serving both tenants of Prince Plaza and the public. The two decks are at different heights, responding to the scales of the surrounding buildings. One of the bars is slightly set back, resulting in floor plans with increased perimeters to maximize natural light. The podium mall has a large opening at grade to allow continuity of the view corridor. Two bridges are introduced to connect Price Plaza to the two tallest office towers in the Sea World masterplan, a large scale commercial and entertainment development in Shekou.
The podium has a modular system of façade elements of stone, glass, and advertisement signage, adjustable depending on the program of the mall. The tower has a fluted façade to emphasize the slenderness of the vertical volumes. At the view corridor, the facades employ a pattern inspired by the mountain and the sea, emphasizing the relationship between the building and its surroundings. Prince Plaza becomes part of the repositioning of Shekou by responding to the area's industrial history and its new ambitions for development.

Partner in charge: David Gianotten
Project Architect: Bauke Albada
Design team: Wanyu He, Yin Ho, Yongwon Kwon Vincent McIlduff, Saul Smeding, Ka Tam, Xu Yang, with Thorben Bazlen, Kathleen Cayetano, Paul Feeney, Vincent Kersten, Luke Lu, Daan Ooievaar, Slobodan Radoman, Mavis Wong, Jenny Ni Zhan
Competition team: Andreas Viglakis, Chee Yuen Choi, Lingxiu Chong, Luke Lu, Xu Yang, Yang Shi, with Max Bergman, Helen Chen, Tim Cheung , Vanessa Chik, Jocelyn Chiu, Ikki Kondo, Erick Kristanto, Charles Lai, Anthony Lam, Federico Letizia, Arthas Qian, Jue Qiu, Roberto Requejo, Ricky Suen

COLLABORATORS
LDI & MEP: Huasen
Li Hongdi, Li Lian, Lian Xianrong, Liu Chong, Tan Lan, Zhong Yubo
Structure: RBS
Li Shengyong, Zhang Wenhua
Traffic: SUTPC
Jiang Jie, Shao Yuan
Commercial: World Union Properties
Zhang Lin, Ivy, Luo Yu
Façade: ARUP
Lian Hongbo, Jason Paget, Max Wu, Robert Wu, Simon Wu, Nina Yiu
Interior: Benoy
Kali Chan, Keith Chau, Arnold Kee, Chris Lohan, Peter McCaffery, Kai Chung Ng, Elaine Tao, Sandy Tsui
Sustainability: Yuezhong
Songbo Shu, Yuanchang Yu
Foundation / Excavation
Fu Celing
Landscape: Metrostudio
Lionella Biancon, Zhang Fangfa, Antonio Inglese, Ando Kraithera Lolurlert, Valentina Ticino
Metrostation integration: China Railway Tunnel Survey & Design Institute
Hu Jianguo
Lighting: CD+M
Ted Ferreira, Sunny Kang, Tony Pascocello, Patrick Yu
Models: OMA / RJ Models
Renderings: OMA / Silkroad