MVRDV has revealed a large-scale residential complex to take shape as part of a new smart city campus built by technology company Tencent in Qianhai Bay, Shenzhen, China. MVRDV’s intervention, named Tencent P5, is comprised of 11 apartment towers arranged around four courtyards. The project also includes amenities such as an adjacent kindergarten, to offer all the necessary facilities for the company’s employees. Construction began in early 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
MVRDV’s development is located on the northern side of the campus, whose master plan is designed by NBBJ. The apartment modules, all identical in size and layout to promote equality, are displayed around green courtyards, accessible to all residents. The towers vary in height, from 57 to 100 meters, and are positioned to allow each apartment to enjoy a private balcony or terrace oriented towards views of the sea and the bay.
At ground level, the development offers residents large forested green areas and a network of pedestrian streets connected to NBBJ’s master plan. Sports facilities and leisure amenities are also dispersed throughout. Additionally, multi-floor breakout spaces are placed at strategic points in the towers to offer a shared amenity to residents and create variety in the facades. This helps divide the area into smaller neighborhoods, where people can meet and interact with those who live in the same area.
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Social Spaciousness: MVRDV Reimagines the Future of Co-LivingThe fifth block is dedicated to a kindergarten for the families of Tencent employees. The building adopts the same courtyard configuration, displaying a series of interconnected blocks around a safe play area for the children. The master plan’s smart city features have also influenced the design, as the basement level is created to be connected to a campus-wide network of automated vehicles available for personal transit or deliveries. The design aims to achieve a three-star Green Building label, China’s highest sustainability certification.
By contributing to Tencent’s smart city, we want to show that smart cities are also healthy cities, green cities, and social cities. The attention in smart cities always goes to technology, and our design of the Tencent residential complex certainly includes that. But in our conception, the technology-related aspects are inseparable from the social spaces, the green courtyards, and the terraces. The technological goes hand-in-hand with the human. - MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas
This project represents a continuation of MVRDV’s collaboration with Tencent, as, in 2020, the internationally recognized architecture office created the design for the firm’s headquarters on the campus. More recently, MVRDV has revealed designs for a residential campus in Berlin, Germany, a scheme aiming to integrate sustainable practices to support the thriving creative scene of the city. On a more theoretical side, MVRDV has also released a design study exploring the concept of co-living and its potential impact on the future of urban living.
