Atkins has won an international competition to design the Skyworth Gongming mixed-use development in Shenzhen, China. Consisting of three interlinked blocks for residential, commercial and office uses, the complex will be a landmark in the western part of Shenzhen and the first eco-friendly development in Guangming district.
     Atkins' scope of work consists of concept design, masterplanning and schematic design. Gongming district was previously an industrial area in Shenzhen and the new complex will be located on the site of the old factory of Skyworth, the largest television manufacturer in China. Atkins' design will regenerate the brown-field site and create a landmark in the new business district linking to the city's light rail system. Eco-friendly design features include various passive solar strategy devices such as sun shading, screening, etc. The spacious roof top urban park on top of the shopping mall reinforces the "urban living room concept" for the new central business district.
     KY Cheung, Atkins' senior design director in China, said: "Brown-field site regeneration is a very important approach in the development of existing cities with hardly any empty site available. Unlike newly built cities, it is complex as it involves smart urban planning within the existing system, transport planning, architecture and landscape design as well as environmental issues. This project is an excellent example of Atkins' combined technical expertise in responding to the challenges in China, particularly as the country is developing such enormous quantity and at such a high speed."
     With a total gross floor area of 302,000 sqm above ground, three curvilinear towers at 100 m, 150 m and 250 m respectively dominate the skyline from the light rail nearby. The 61,000 sq m commercial area comprising a five-storey shopping mall and three-storey shopping street complex will accommodate retail outlets, restaurants and entertainment venues.
     For more information and illustrations, please refer to Building Journal January 2013 issue.