Juxtapose

Master Planning
Shenzhen, China

Despite its rural pedigree, the urban village of Baishizhou hasn’t fixed itself into an older way of life. It’s changed and grown, in step with the hi-tech city of Shenzhen now enveloping the village. But local landowners and city politicians seek to redevelop it into generic towers. In order to preserve Baishizhou, we must allow it to change once again. If it were more profitable and socially relevant to the city that’s grown up around it, this unique neighborhood might persevere. Baishizhou needs productivity, with cultural meaning.

Shenzhen’s incredible economic success has yet to be matched by a deeper civic maturity. This proposal turns Baishizhou into a theater district with 11 venues and a performing arts college. The scale allows for an annual festival that could compete with Beijing and establish Shenzhen as a global hub for contemporary dance and drama. Existing structures are hollowed out, creating much-needed public space and exposing daylight to the darkest apartments. Each plaza in this chain of building shells is camouflaged: you walk from a dark alley through an entry door, and find that the interior you expected is actually an outdoor room. Such contrasts are paralleled by the broader juxtaposition of a small urban village bringing new forms of performance art to the world.

In collaboration with Jasmine Sun (Shenzhen University)