Shenzhen’s Institute of Design and Innovation is one of the projects for Shenzhen City that was launched as a design competition that attracted architects and firms worldwide. Shenzhen City intends to create several cultural buildings to improve its international standing, because of which these project briefs were made.
The winner of this international competition for Shenzhen’s Institute of Design and Innovation is Dominique Perrault Architecture and the local Chinese studio Zhubo Design Co.
The concept for the project seems to be ‘Horizon’. The building takes the shape of a horizontal line that is supposed to blend into the (horizon) surrounding landscape while it creates a very clear impression of its own. The inspiration behind this was the Chinese character ‘––’. The design has been implemented in such a way that the surrounding landscape has been preserved.
This project is located in Shenzhen’s outskirts, a rural area and stretches along with the mountain range ‘Phoenix Mountain’. The design ensures that it does not disturb the natural setting in any way. The new Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) will accommodate this new campus of the Shenzhen Institute of Design and Innovation. It will accommodate around 4,000 students.
Project Facts-
Location- Fenghuang Mountain, Hangcheng Street, Baoan District, Shenzhen.
Site Area- 348,955 sq.m.
Built Area- 300,000 sq.m.
Estimated Investment- 2,79 billion Yuan
Client- Engineering Design Management Center of Bureau of Public Works of Shenzhen Municipality, Shenzhen, China
Local architects- Zhubo Design Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
Landscape architects- PWP Landscape Architecture, California, U.S.A.
Engineering consulting- BuroHappold Engineering, United Kingdom
Perspective and movies- Fancy Digital Technology Co Limited, Beijing, China
(www.perraultarchitecture.com, n.d.)
The Shenzhen Institute of Design and Innovation is a horizontal line that stretches to form a single mass which is around 700m long. It looks like a long bridge that is elevated from the ground. The design creates excellent views for the surrounding landscape and maintains visual transparency.
The two main elements around which the design has been articulated are Hyper-Roof and Hyper-Ground. In the Hyper-Ground, the project limits the road traffic, thereby allowing for pedestrian circulation. The spaces that connect the Hyper-roof to the Hyper- ground include the teaching spaces such as classrooms, teaching laboratories and research laboratories located in the main volume of the building. The roof, which is accessible to the users, is 50m above the street level. The large roof of the building plays a significant role in the functioning of the building because of rainwater management systems and photovoltaic panels, which help to provide energy for the entire building. The roof will also be vegetated to help with the natural insulation of the building.
The program for this project includes classrooms and laboratories, working spaces and offices for administration and professors, shared spaces like the library, auditorium, sports facilities, exhibition spaces, catering spaces, technical and logistical spaces, and private areas such as student and teacher housing. All the standard facilities like the library, auditorium, exhibition halls etc., are located under a dome-shaped structure which can be viewed from the Hyper-Ground.
The two primary materials that the architects have used are glass and metal. Thin vertical metal lines are used for the facade of the building, while the large openings help bring in natural light for the view and provide a clear, undisturbed view of the landscape. Metal and glass are used to create different textures or ideas depending on the day or seasons. The interior design of this building allows the spaces to be used in a more flexible way to bring out maximum use.
The main aim behind creating the new building for Shenzhen’s Institute of Design and Innovation is to display the significant needs catered to for the needs of the design that can stand an international critic.
“The project underlines a strong desire to create exchanges and interactions, to hybridise disciplines to encourage innovation and excellence.” -Dominique Perrault Architecture.
Reference-
www.perraultarchitecture.com. (n.d.). Dominique Perrault Architecture – Shenzhen Innovation and Creative Design Institute. [online] Available at: http://www.perraultarchitecture.com/en/news/3632-shenzhen_innovation_and_creative_design_institute.html [Accessed 15 Apr. 2021].
World Architecture Community. (n.d.). Dominique Perrault Architecture selected to design Shenzhen’s Institute of Design and Innovation. [online] Available at: https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/evhpz/dominique-perrault-architecture-selected-to-design-shenzhen-s-institute-of-design-and-innovation.html [Accessed 15 Apr. 2021].
ArchDaily. (2021). Dominique Perrault Architecture Wins Competition for Shenzhen’s Institute of Design and Innovation.
[online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/959483/dominique-perrault-architecture-wins-competition-for-shenzhens-institute-of-design-and-innovation?ad_medium=gallery [Accessed 15 Apr. 2021].
