Dominique Perrault Architecture, together with Chinese studio Zhubo Design Co, has won the international competition for the new campus of Shenzen's Institute of Design and Innovation. Stretching along a mountain range, the large-scale horizontal structure preserves the views towards the landscape, while creating a strong relationship between the learning spaces and the environment.
The new campus will form part of a larger site serving the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) which will accommodate over 4000 students. Inspired by the Chinese character «-», the design consists of a single volume more than 700 metres long, which seems to hover above the ground like a horizontal line in the landscape. The programme is organized around two main elements, which the architects define as the "Hyper-Ground" and the "Hyper-Roof".
The "Hyper-ground" houses all the university's services and gathering places. The ground level's morphology encourages exchanges and interactions, promoting a hybridization of disciplines meant to spark innovation. A pedestrian promenade containing various public spaces and access points to the educational programme's main elements stretches underneath the entire length of the suspended volume. The common facilities such as the library, the auditorium and exhibition halls are contained within monumental dome-like structures. On the side facing the city, a mineral amphitheatre connects the university to the surrounding neighbourhood forming the campus entrance.
The main volume houses the classrooms and teaching laboratories, with a panoramic park opening to the surrounding landscape. This "Hyper Roof" is arranged around various programs and activities, from garden spaces to sports areas. The large roof also plays an active role in the building's technical functioning through rainwater management systems and photovoltaic panels, which provide energy for the entire building. The façade's thin vertical lines create a vibrant appearance within the landscape, and the interior layout allows for great flexibility for future developments of the campus.
The project is one of a series of competitions for cultural and sports facilities planned by the municipality of Shenzen, aimed at asserting the city as an international innovation centre. Among these new architectural landmarks are the Conservatory of Music designed by Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, Jean Nouvel’s project for Shenzen’s Opera House and the Maritime Museum envisioned by SANAA.
- Location: Bao’an Education City, Fenghuangshan Creative Park, Shenzhen, China
- Site area: 348 955 m²
- Built area: 300 000 m²
- 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
