Part of the Shenzhen SEZ (Special Economic Zone) established in 1980, Shekou became an important gateway for foreigners to discover mainland China after its open-door policy started to connect the country with the rest of the world. Its urban public realm, however, suffered from the fast urbanization and lacked attractive parks and facilities for the ever growing population. Soon after the opening of Sea World, Shekou began upgrading its city buildings, particularly with the increased awareness of creating attractive and livable places for Shenzhen’s future generations.
Today, the Shekou Coastal Promenade is a unique place for social gathering, expressing the renewed culture of Shekou, and the city’s desire to transform this out-of-date industrial shoreline into a public waterfront. The once disconnected, dull and even dangerous shoreline walk has been upgraded by a new design and programming, and has become highly accessible from the adjacent urban neighborhoods. The design connects the city’s neighborhoods and landmarks with the waterfront through distinct “windows” and “lines,” making the once discontinuous promenade segments a single walkable promenade.
By decoding the social DNA of Shekou, the promenade design aims to achieve a socially resilient, urban public place, blending old and new cultures at the waterfront, creating a blend of fishing village, western-style theme park, environmental parks, and civic spaces that attract people year around.
Entrant office name: SWA Group
Role of the entrant in the project: Landscape Architecture
Website: www.swagroup.com
Other designers involved in the design of landscape:
Project location (Street, City, Country): Shenzhen, China
Design year: 2014
Year Built: 2017
SWA was the winner of a design competition for this five-kilometer-long shoreline. The project was completed in July of 2015.
