SPARK plans prince's building for shenzhen skyline

SPARK plans prince’s building for shenzhen skyline
all images courtesy of SPARK architects

in the sprawling chinese city of shenzhen, SPARK architects has designed ‘prince’s building’, a mixed-use development for china merchants. the 27 storey tower, which rises to a total height of 110 meters, is accompanied by five retail pavilions, connected through landscaped terraces. the cluster of buildings is positioned next to a new transportation hub that includes a bus terminal and subway station.

a fifth ‘lantern’ pavilion sits at the heart of the triangular site

the 71,600 square meter scheme is located at the southern tip of shenzhen on the nantou peninsula, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. consequently the design responds to the surrounding landscape with its own distinctive urban-garden. envisioned as a series of hillscapes, the development is composed of office and retail areas, with SPARK also responsible for the project’s interiors and landscaping.

the five retail pavilions are connected through a series of landscaped terraces

the centerpiece of the scheme is the office tower, which provides 1,100 square meters of column free floorplates, while full height glazing offers ocean views across shenzhen bay. the glazed façade of the upper levels is accentuated by slender aluminum louvers, designed to catch sunlight and create a shifting appearance at the top of the high-rise.

around the office block, five 4-storey pavilions contain a host a retail outlets, with a fifth ‘lantern’ pavilion sitting at the heart of the triangular site. clad in horizontal strips of stone, the units feature glazed shop fronts oriented towards the city.

clad in horizontal strips of stone, the units feature glazed shop fronts oriented towards the city

the terrain surrounding the various structures weaves through the development, composed of banded stone layers punctuated by metallic accent strips, which gently glow at night. as the tower approaches street level, the perimeter landscaping softens the base of the building.

the idea of layered rock continues internally, with the wayfinding and graphic design options drawn from the same metallic color palette in order to complement and enhance the warm natural tones of the façade and interiors.

the entrance lobby of the 27 storey office tower

‘with the retail environment flowing seamlessly into the interior courtyard at street level, the internal scale of the retail garden will provide a much more intimate experience,’ explained SPARK director stephen pimbley. ‘the upper-level terraces will wrap around the central lantern pavilion, which opens onto an upper level terraced dining deck. this will create an intimate dining destination, helping the building to remain vibrant outside key retail hours. it’s a layered, open urban retail concept that will create a unique environment in which to shop, work and play.’

the tower is accompanied by five sculpted retail pavilions

the development is positioned next to a transportation hub that includes a bus terminal and subway station

the glazed façade of the upper levels is accentuated by slender aluminum louvers designed to catch sunlight

aerial view of the site in shenzhen

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project info:

master plan and architecture: SPARK architects
project director: stephen pimbley, lim wenhui
project associates: carlo joson, peter morris
team: cynthia liau, rafal kapusta, lintang wuriantari, darmaganda, mark mancenido, olivia wong, fabian ong, paula zheng, arnold galang, natasha hill
client: china merchants
total GFA: 71,600 sqm (office: 47,200 sqm, retail: 20,400 sqm, bus terminal: 4,000 sqm)