Mecanoo, in collaboration with Meng Architects and LOLA Landscape Architects, has been selected as the winner of the international design competition for the design of the Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley. The aim of the project is to create a facility for research and innovation that is also engaging for a larger public while also being integrated and coexisting with the surrounding natural environment. The project includes an area of approximately 1.2 square kilometers located in a strategic place to serve the larger scientific community, from Guangdong, to Hong Kong, and Macao.
The Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley will be situated amidst the Lian Tang Reservoir, the Lou Village Reservoir, and the valley space between them. Surrounded by mountains, forests, and bodies of water, the location offers an ecological advantage for the innovation center, as the competition highlighted the potential of the area through the “Scientific Forest” concept, encouraging the teams to consider all elements of nature as part of the development.
The winning proposal is centered around the concept of the “Valley of Coexistence.” The guiding principle is that of “temporal restoration and selective construction” and understanding the lasting effects of the intervention upon its surrounding. The plan thus incorporates a diverse public program with three independent components: a public loop, a research center, and a natural perimeter layer. The objective of the strategy, known as “1001 Forest Gardens,” is to foster collaboration between scientists and the general public while encouraging a balanced coexistence within the valley.
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MVRDV Wins Competition To Design A New Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence Campus in Heilbronn, GermanyThe location of the development is also significant from the point of view of international collaborations, as the Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley aims to become an internationally recognized science and technology innovation center for the regions of Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, and beyond.
On a similar note, LOLA Landscape Architects has also collaborated with MVRDV for the design of the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence Campus in Heilbronn, Germany, a development that aims to become a world-leading site for developing AI technologies. Recently, Mecanoo has released the design of the Amstel Design District, a mixed-use development that includes housing, mid-rent residential spaces, private sector homes, and collective facilities in Amsterdam. The Dutch architecture firm has also revealed plans to redevelop the Doris Duke Theater in Hawaii, in collaboration with U.S.-based office Marvel, after the original structure was severely damaged in a fire in 2020.
