Shenzhen Bay MIXC Phase II recently celebrated its grand opening. As one of the project's design teams, ZDG Design was honored to attend the opening ceremony, joining guests from various sectors in witnessing the debut of this renewed urban commercial landmark.

Shenzhen Bay MIXC Phase II is situated in the core area of Houhai Financial Headquarters in Nanshan District, adjacent to the "Spring Bamboo" landmark and the scenic views of Shenzhen Bay. With a total gross floor area of approximately 150,000 square meters, the project is seamlessly connected to Houhai Metro Station, creating a spatial system that integrates nature and humanistic elements. By organically linking key landmarks such as MIXC, China Resources Tower, the Art Center, and Talent Park, the district forms a continuous experience where "commerce-culture-ecology" functions interact and complement each other. This design effectively guides pedestrian flow and enhances the overall vitality and value of this "Future Open Block."

The project comprises four major components, in which ZDG collaborated with KPF, IPD, the client, and the constructor to deliver the following: the Skywalk System Design, the Green Valleys on the Axis, the Water Screen and Staircase, and the Wave Plaza and the Box.

The skywalk system, co-designed by our team and IPD, functions as a 2-kilometer elevated slow-moving hub in the Houhai area, effectively connecting key commercial and cultural landmarks including Coastal City, MIXC Shenzhen Bay (Phase I and II), and Shenzhen Bay Cultural Square. Haide Yi RD Bridge, featuring a distinctive arched form, links the Shenzhen Bay Cultural Square with MIXC. Our team was responsible for the form-finding design, iterative optimization, and final construction refinement of both the bridge and its accompanying spiral staircase. The Central Road Bridge serves as a second-floor landscape corridor for MIXC Phase II, for which we proposed the Lichen design concept to integrate the three-dimensional landscape system. For the PTI Bridge, its structural Lichen inspired structural system adopt an upward-branching form to expand the load-bearing coverage. Through comprehensive process control—encompassing model design, 3D printing, factory supervision, and integrated acceptance of the finished product—the final realization successfully achieves a unified presentation of design intent and structural performance.

For the Green Valley plot of MIXC Phase II, ZDG, as the detailed design team, conducted multiple rounds of refined design and scheme optimization in collaboration with the client. The team advanced specialized curtain wall optimization based on the civil construction's morphological profile and deeply engaged during the construction phase to comprehensively upgrade the implementation plan according to on-site conditions. Through continuous refinement and collaborative optimization of construction details, multi-level stepped terraces and shaded seating steps were ultimately created, achieving a seamless transition and immersive experience from the commercial space to the urban natural environment.

For the streetscape water screen feature, ZDG as the architectural design team, worked in close collaboration with the structural engineering unit to complete the integrated design of the water screen installation. During the development of the support frame and grid system for fixing the metal mesh, the team fully integrated structural load calculations to refine the design, ensuring a harmonious balance between visual impact and structural integrity. Beneath the water screen, a steel staircase was subject to highly constrained design conditions. Through meticulous design development, ZDG successfully created a distinctive staircase within extremely limited vertical and planar space, featuring a steel structural framework complemented by stone treads. This approach achieved both efficient spatial utilization and high aesthetic quality.

At the WAVE Plaza node, ZDG collaborated closely with KPF on the sunken plaza area, conducting multiple rounds of form optimization tests for the curtain wall system and overall architectural design. The team advanced the refinement of forms and detailed development of the curtain wall, ensuring the faithful realization of the intended built outcome. For the volumetric "Box" building, ZDG worked alongside KPF on material comparison and testing, massing studies, optimization of curtain wall framing profiles, and refinement of connection details, jointly overseeing visual quality from concept through implementation. Additionally, for the major water feature design, the team assisted KPF in testing various aquatic form alternatives and refining technical details to ensure design intent was achieved. Simultaneously, through collaborative multi-round testing and optimization of materials and patterns for the landscape paving, the overall execution quality of the project was comprehensively elevated.