Location: Hong Kong, China.

Architect: Leigh & Orange Limited.

The Qianhai Metro Depot in Shenzhen, which has been in service since 2007, has been redesigned to accommodate recent changes in the government’s vision and strategic positioning of the future Qianhai district. The project brief was to re-design the depot development within the existing structural constraints and to soften the city interface between 0m and 16m. The project is designed with sustainability and the interest of the public as its core value. The 16m green deck and sunken gardens are dedicated to the public, creating a hierarchy of public to semi-public open spaces amidst a variety of low-rise building typologies dispositioned in a town-like setting. The project provides easy access to the development and encourages the use of public transport. The project has provided a simple yet delightful solution to match Qianhai’s vision towards a sustainable city and innovative building environment. The landscape design for the overall development allocates at least 30% green area with a selection of indigenous vegetation, and the drainage system of green areas is integrated with rainwater storage provisions to control rainwater runoff. The project targets to achieve China Green Label 1 star certification for the whole development.

Photo credit: Leigh & Orange Limited.