International architecture office HENN developed a 300,000m² master plan for the City University of Hong Kong in the province of Guangdong. The construction will be split into two phases: the central library is planned for 2023 and the academic amenities, including student residences, are scheduled for completion in 2025. As the City University of Hong Kong's third mainland site, "CityU Dongguan" will connect researchers and industry collaborators across the Greater Bay Area Technology Innovation Corridor and create a multifaceted university district in the Pearl River Delta region. Moreover, the complex will be home to the Faculty of Science, Engineering, Business, and Medicine.
The City University of Hong Kong's new campus will be close to two of China's most significant scientific research projects: The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) and the Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory. Along with the CityU, these institutions' goal is to unify the high-end research facilities of Hong Kong and the manufacturing power of Shenzhen to create a new science and development region.
A diagonal grid organizes the architecture program and divides it in half. The plan is extended in an "L" configuration along with a large elevated platform across the bridge. It integrates the campus' lake and connects to the surrounding landscape. The spine links the four faculties, sports facilities, and administrative buildings on West Campus with the laboratories, classrooms, dining hall, and media center on the East. Residential towers will define the edges of the site and offer students centrally-located accommodation.
HENN won the design competition in 2020 and divided the construction into 2 phases to complete the plan in 2025. The Central Library, which just topped out, will serve as a symbol of the University and a new landmark thanks to its striking 50-meter cantilever. The construction of labs, classrooms, and amenities will be evenly distributed across the two phases to allow for greater flexibility.
CityU is the latest project in the China-Germany-based firm's growing portfolio of universities and research facilities: Westlake University in Hangzhou, China opened this year; The Zalando BHQ-Z Building in Berlin topped out in march 2022, and the Aviation University and Zoomlion Headquarters in China are both currently under construction.
