The winners were announced following an assessment by a bid evaluation committee of 13 experts in urban planning and design, architectural design, aviation, railway, urban rail, and integrated transportation. The multidisciplinary design team also includes schlaich bergermann partner (sbp), Atelier Ten and Gross Max.
Sponsored by China National Railway Corporation Limited and Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, the project is undertaken by Shenzhen Metro Corporation Limited as the tenderer.
The brief called for an aspirational vision to create an integrated intermodal transport hub to act as a new urban gateway and landmark for the Greater Bay Area. It also set out the need to be safe, green, intelligent and humanistic, integrating the latest technologies to set a new benchmark for similar projects around the world.
The winning proposal will improve the journeys of thousands of daily commuters, providing easier transfers between high speed rail and other public transport modes. The hub will also provide connections and terminal facilities for passengers travelling to and from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, making it one of the most integrated transport interchanges in the world.
The transport interchange will be a catalyst for the transformation of the whole east terminal area into a vibrant, people oriented new commercial and cultural district for Shenzhen. The master plan has been designed to promote active travel through provision of intuitive routes, active frontages and enriching landscape features. Passengers will transit through the hub where the flowing architectural forms and naturally daylit spaces will help to guide people on their journeys through the interchange.
The project will be an exemplar of environmental sustainability and will achieve LEED Platinum and Chinese three star rating through a highly economic architectural solution that uses materials efficiently and maximises repetition of components.
The design takes its inspiration from the Mangrove, a tree that has special significance for the city of Shenzhen and is one of the planet’s most effective carbon absorbers. The team developed a strong set of design principles enabling a harmonious and unique development delivering operational, experiential and ecological excellence.
The natural form of the tree’s diverse root ecosystem, which thrives where waterways converge, inspired the journey passengers will take, both above and below ground, landside and airside, while its biodiversity will be in harmony with the hub’s exciting mix of uses.
The evocation of biophilic influence through the underlying mangrove forms serves to reinforce the connection to nature in this very busy city.
Dave Richards, Director, Atelier Ten