Büro Ole Scheeren unveils its winning design for Scenic City in Shenzhen. Currently under construction, the project will serve as the new headquarters for JD.com, China‘s largest digital retailer, becoming a prominent feature in the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base as part of the Nanshan District — a flourishing business and financial hub serving the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. Construction on the two towers commenced in early 2022 and is slated for completion by the end of 2027. Once complete, Scenic City will join a vibrant community of global corporations, including ZTE, CITIC and OPPO. 

all renders © Burö Ole Scheeren

Büro Ole Scheeren’s design for the Scenic City Towers focuses on ‘in-between’ spaces that reflect a future model for a nature-infused workspace experience. Spanning about 186,000 sqm, the headquarters will house offices, a hotel, retail and cultural spaces across both towers, and an ‘urban spine.’ Sitting on top of the urban spine is JD Hub (see more here), a cultural venue housing a theater and public exhibition space. Beneath the towers, the shared podium of JD World will host various events. Its mixed-use offer and strategic positioning of accessible spaces integrate with the surroundings and stimulate activity within its urban context.

Scenic City is expected to complete by end of 2027

Reaching nearly 200 meters in height, Scenic City features individual blocks echoing the varying urban scales surrounding it, while their organic forms recall the natural contours of the nearby mountainous landscape. It ‘incorporates some of the qualities of local vernacular architecture, building on Lingnan’s traditional arcade, balcony and terrace features that enhance comfort and quality of life. A trajectory of open, in-between spaces meanders through the buildings and creates the social spine of the headquarters. Enhanced through intelligent passive design with plantings and natural ventilation, these three-dimensional scenic spaces are shielded against the region’s harsh sun and heavy rainfall,’ explains Ole Scheeren. 

facades echoing waterfalls

Building on the architect’s words, the facades bear a subtle resemblance to waterfalls, a prominent feature of Lingnan’s natural landscape. Vertical louvers provide ventilation and modulate the glass’s reflectivity and transparency while visually evoking the image of water streams. The facade detailing offers visual cues to the scenic landscape and creates a distinct identity for the headquarters within the cityscape, breathing life and energy into the urban fabric. Along the spine, JD Hub’s facade mirrors an abstracted mountain scenery to continue the project’s dialogue with scenic nature and visually highlight the public space it adorns. The cultural hub hosts a 150-seat theater and exhibition venue equipped to host international events.

The project’s connection to nature is continued by weaving lush greenery vertically throughout the towers. The facades open at certain intervals to provide glimpses of the building’s interior and exterior spaces. These moments of vertical landscape are complemented by green terraces placed throughout the towers, offering staff access to spaces for relaxation and encouraging social interaction on every floor.

creating ‘in-between’ spaces that meander through the mixed-use headquarters of JD.com

The concept of ‘in-between spaces’ is deeply rooted in the oriental idea of nature, focusing on the moments within the built volumes and around and amongst them. Ole Scheeren remarks: ‘The ‘in-between spaces’ are sometimes more important than the physical structures. The life of the city is not just encapsulated in its enclosed fabric, but much of its urban and social adventure happens in the in-between. Scenic City embodies this idea of leaving things open, undefined, to provide a stage for public and social life both within the towers as well as the external urban environment.’

vertical louvers provide ventilation throughout Scenic City

Lastly, Scenic City pursues a holistic approach to a sustainable model of urbanity, integrating city, environment, community, and architecture to create a synergistic urban ecosystem. Towards the lower levels, the waterfall-like facades dissipate, increasing permeability and transparency on the street level to invite the public to engage with the building. On the podium levels, JD World offers active street frontage, fusing cultural, exhibition, and corporate spaces into an interactive ecosystem. This is anchored by a ‘central park’ that extends from the ground to the podium roof, creating a continuous public green promenade. The urban spine and corresponding JD Hub are linked to the towers and surrounding developments by bridged walkways, enhancing connectivity within the overall Super Headquarters Base master plan.

the towers are part of the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base