SHENZHEN BAY CULTURE PARK, MAD ARCHITECTS
MAD ARCHITECTS REVEALS SHENZHEN BAY CULTURE PARK PLANS MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, has revealed its masterplan and architectural design for the Shenzhen Bay Culture Park. The ambitious cultural complex covers an approximate area of 51,000m2, with a total building area of 1 82,000m2, and includes the creative design hall, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum, with an expansive public green space along the waterfront in Shenzhen, China. It is expected to be completed in 2023. MAD ARCHITECTS
S
et between the young, vibrant city of Shenzhen, and the quiet oceanfront, Shenzhen Bay Culture Park juxtaposes two transcendental scales of time – the ‘ancient’ and the ‘future’ – through the setting of an ethereal artistic urban landscape. “I want to create a surreal atmosphere, so that the people who visit, relax or exercise here have the possibility of engaging in a dialogue with the past and the future. Time and space are dissolved and placed against each other, manifesting a sense of weightlessness, and unrestrained imagination,” says Ma Yansong. He continues: “When building a cultural landmark on a site positioned between the dynamic energy of a modern city and quiet timelessness of nature, it should be imagined as free civic space – at first a land art park, with its functions complementing its aesthetics.” MAD’s scheme is formed by a sprawling green plaza. A reception area, standard exhibition halls, public education space, library, auditorium, theatre, cafe and supporting businesses are spread out across the ground floor. Sunken into the terrain, these programmatic functions remain unseen. Instead, they are visualised as an earthart landscape. Pedestrian pathways that lead directly from the city over to the park, freely connect the greater urban area and public green space to one another. The gentle sloping of the roof naturally falls into the ground, shaping several sunken courtyards of continuous height across the park.
FC&A – AUGUST – 2020
16
