The project is located in Guangming District, Shenzhen, on the site of a former factory that has been transformed into an urban exhibition hall for industrial promotion in Guangming District, as well as a demonstration area for Runhong City. Balancing its dual functions as a window showcasing the district’s new urban identity and serving as a real estate sales venue, the design aims to respect the original character of the site while envisioning a new urban lifestyle for the future.
The original mature trees and the structural remnants of the factory inspired the design team to preserve these elements, integrating them into the new functional and urban context. By blurring the boundaries between landscape, architecture, and interiors, the site is reimagined with an artistic lens that harmonizes past and present.
The material selection boldly incorporates high-aesthetic-value stone, interweaving geometric forms to create a dynamic interplay of volumes, while meticulous craftsmanship and detailing convey a distinct artistic sensibility. The entire site serves as both a curated art gallery and an imaginative “Pandora’s Box,” opening the door to an era of future urban possibilities.
The site is surrounded on three sides by urban waterways, separated from the municipal road, forming a trapezoidal peninsula-like configuration. It measures 130 meters along its longest edge and approximately 70 meters in depth from east to west, creating a strong sense of enclosure. On the eastern edge, the site closely adjoins Songbai Road, which serves as the sole vehicular and pedestrian access point. A dense row of camphor trees lines the eastern riverbank, shielding the site from urban disturbances and imparting an air of mystery to the space.
The western boundary is framed by a backdrop of mature camphor trees and banyans, creating a robust green canvas for the site. Around the original building, the towering camphor trees establish themselves as both visual focal points and partial screens, blurring the boundaries between the architecture and its surroundings. These trees imbue the site with a captivating and magnetic allure, anchoring its character and setting the tone for its design potential.
The redefined 120-meter-long eastern boundary opens up a new urban facade while marking the entrance to the exhibition hall. A clean stone wall serves as a backdrop for the interplay of light and shadow cast by the existing mature trees. This juxtaposition of the new and the old creates a temporal dialogue within the space, reflecting aspirations and explorations of future living. Upon entering the pedestrian pathway, visitors are greeted by a tree-shaded corridor that reinforces the sense of enclosure. The space unfolds through staggered horizontal joints along the walls, where greenery subtly filters in through slits and semi-framed windows carved into the stonework. These glimpses of verdant life heighten the sense of mystery about the spaces beyond the wall.
At the corridor’s terminus lies a distinctive corner of green stone walls. Delicate streams of water cascade from the interlocking stone blocks, as if breathing life into the green stone itself. This element resonates with the “green” of the surrounding trees, weaving together nature and architecture into a harmonious, living dialogue.
A Green Forest on One Side, a Green Slope on the Other. The architectural exhibition hall emerges amidst the native camphor trees, framed by a verdant forest on one side and a lush green slope on the other. Beneath the camphor canopy, seating crafted from green stone blocks seamlessly integrates into the environment, surrounded by vibrant layers of colorful greenery. Here, within the “living room” created by the towering trees, visitors can pause and reflect on the journey through the landscape. Every design element is meticulously arranged to culminate in this singular moment of tranquility, where nature and architecture converge in harmony.
In alignment with the project’s refined aesthetic, the design carefully selected distinctive green and blue stone materials, applied respectively to walls and water features. The composition of the walls responds thoughtfully to the spatial dynamics, seamlessly integrating with the water features and lighting elements to enhance functionality and ambiance. The nuanced interplay of these materials not only enriches the spatial experience but also creates a captivating visual statement. The stone’s texture, fluid and graceful like drifting clouds and flowing water, adds a sense of vitality and character, making it a uniquely charming feature of the design.
The green feature wall guides the spatial arrangement, allowing the design to use pathways as a medium to shift emotional tones. The central courtyard is organized around a reflective water feature, which amplifies the space by mirroring the trees, architecture, and sky. The interplay of these reflections creates a sense of expansiveness and serenity. To the east of the water feature, a pair of tree-lined paths lead gracefully to the building’s entrance. These pathways are comfortably nestled under a lush canopy, enveloped by finely curated greenery. On the western side, a green slope seamlessly merges with the backdrop of mature trees, emphasizing the white “picture frame” floating above the water. This frame, ethereal and pristine, appears to hover lightly on the surface, evoking the image of a cloud drifting over the water—a scene both poetic and dreamlike.
Project Name: Shenzhen Guangming Runhong City Urban Exhibition Hall
Project Location: Guangming District, Shenzhen
Landscape Area: 9,000㎡
Client: Shenzhen Runhong Real Estate Co., Ltd.
Client Team: Yuan Yi, Wang Xiangmao, Song Yue, Guan Bingqiang, Yu Jianjun, Chen Jing, Zhang Junwei, Wang Hao
Landscape Design: Change Studio
Landscape Construction: Tongqi Landscape
Flower Border Implementation: Benmo Du Landscape, Shenzhen
Architectural Design: Shenzhen Cube Architectural Design Co., Ltd.
Interior Design: DIA Design International
Photography: E-ar x TARS
