Cultural Center in Shenzhen, China by Mecanoo

The Dutch office Mecanoo won an architectural competition six years ago for a new cultural center in the Longgang district of the nine-million-strong Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen. Recently, the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone for the new cultural center took place, which will consist of a pair of museums, a youth center, and a giant bookstore. The entire structure is wrapped in a dynamically shaped form colored in red. The cultural center is located on the edge of the existing park and a new residential area, the design of which (from 2011) was also created by Mecanoo. In the area of 3.8 hectares, new apartments, hotels, schools, and a shopping center are expected to be built soon. The linear structure of the cultural center is cut in several places with triangular openings featuring rounded edges, allowing for uninterrupted passage from the city to the park. The completion of the center is planned for next year.