Prince Plaza

Shekou is defined by a mixed landscape. Mountains and sea, an industrial fabric from the early economic reform era, and recent skyscrapers form a dynamic context. Prince Plaza is located in Shekou’s Sea World district—a unique coastal zone in Shenzhen backed by the Nanshan Mountains and facing the Shenzhen Bay, abundant in public outdoor spaces. The 200-metre mixed-use podium tower at once connects with Shekou’s latest commercial developments, its industrial past, and its everlasting natural environment.

The site falls on Shekou’s most prominent view corridor that runs from the mountains to the sea. Prince Plaza takes full advantage of the view corridor without obstructing it. The tower is an ensemble of four bars attached to a central core. Three sky decks—highlighted by a hexagon-patterned facade inspired by hills and waves—are viewing platforms open to vistas of the mountains and the sea. Designed for use by both tenants and public, they add to the collection of the public outdoor spaces in the coastal Sea World district.

The sky decks break down the otherwise monolithic 60,000 m2 tower into four bars of different sizes that respond to architecture of distinctive scales in the surroundings. The two bars on one side are slightly set back to increase the perimeter of each floor plate, allowing more natural light into the office space. The tower’s fluted façade, with extra wide glass panels, enables office tenants to visually connect with the mountains and the sea, while further bringing lightness to the slender vertical bars.

A 40,000 m2 podium mall occupies the full length of the orthogonal site to maximise street level retail frontage. Different than typical enclosed shopping malls, Prince Plaza’s podium mall has a porous façade and a roof terrace—an extension of the existing commercial and recreational offerings of the Sea World district. A prominent opening—marked by a similar façade as the sky decks—is created at the location through which the view corridor runs. Underground levels of the mall are integrated with two metro lines that connect Prince Plaza to the rest of Shenzhen.

OMA
Partner-in-Charge: David Gianotten
Project Architect: Bauke Albada

Competition team: Andreas Viglakis, Chee Yuen Choi, Lingxiu Chong, Luke Lu, Xu Yang, Yang Shi with Max Bergman, Helen Chen, Tim Cheung, Vanessa Chik, Jocelyn Chiu, Ikki Kondo, Erick Kristanto, Charles Lai, Anthony Lam, Federico Letizia, Arthas Qian, Jue Qiu, Roberto Requejo, Ricky Suen

Design team: Ka Tam, Saul Smeding, Vincent McIlduff, Wanyu He, Yin Ho, Yongwon Kwon, Xu Yang with Daan Ooievaar, Jedidiah Lau, Jenny Ni Zhan, Kathleen Cayetano, Luke Lu, Mavis Wong, Paul Feeney, Slobodan Radoman, Thorben Bazlen, Vincent Kersten

Construction team:
Ka Tam, Saul Smeding, Xu Yang, Yongwon Kwon
With: Christina Kuo, Hafsa Siddique, Joanna Gu, Mark Kanters, Yutian He

LDI & MEP: Huasen Li Hongdi, Li Lian, Lian Xianrong, Liu Chong, Tan Lan, Zhong Yubo
Structure: RBS Li Shengyong, Zhang Wenhua

Traffic: SUTPC
Jiang Jie, Shao Yuan

Commercial: World Union Properties
Ivy, Luo Yu, Zhang Lin

Façade: ARUP
Jason Paget, Lian Hongbo, Max Wu, Nina You, Robert Wu, Simon Wu

Interior: Benoy
Arnold Kee, Chris Lohan, Elaine Tao, Kai Chung Ng, Kali Chan, Keith Chau, Peter McCaffery, Sandy Tsu

Sustainability: Yuezhong
Songbo Shu, Yuanchang Yu

Landscape: Metrostudio
Ando Kraithera Lolurlert, Antonio Inglese, Lionella Biancon, Valentina Ticino, Zhang Fangfa
Hu Jianguo

Lighting: CD+M
Patrick Yu, Sunny Kang, Ted Ferreira, Tony Pascocello, Patrick Yu