LOLA Landscape Architects and Mecanoo won the international design competition for the Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley, which is set to become the first comprehensive national science center in the Greater Bay Area, attracting researchers and innovative talents from around the world to make it a world-leading research and innovation hub.
This new center will serve as the core of an international science and technology innovation center in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, covering an area of about 1.2 square kilometers located at the heart of a large scientific cluster and encompassing the Lian Tang Reservoir, the Lou Village Reservoir, and the valley space between them, providing an ecological advantage of being surrounded by mountains and water.
The design team proposed for Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley, a unique and innovative concept called the ‘Scientific Forest’ based on the site’s natural characteristics. The Valley of Coexistence concept was based on the strategy of ‘temporal restoration and selective construction,’ focusing on time as a vital element. The plan includes a diverse public activity program called ‘1001 Forest Gardens,’ and three symbiotic components, including a public loop, a research center, and a natural perimeter layer. The idea is for the public and scientists to work together to grow the forest, promoting coexistence.
