OMA’s Prince Plaza has opened in Shenzhen’s free trade zone of Shekou. The project, led by OMA partner David Gianotten and Bauke Albada, results from a competition that the Dutch office won in 2012. The 200 meters high mixed-use tower has been developed for CMSK (China Merchants Shekou Holdings), a state enterprise for urban development.

The building sits between the Nanshan mountains and the Shenzhen Bay, and is currently subject to a dynamic transformation. Its heterogeneous landscape includes the industrial heritage dating back to the late 1970s, when Shekou officially became Industrial Zone, to the newly added skyscrapers. The project contributes to the rapid transformation of the formerly industrial site into a new commercial and creative hub.

The 60,000 sqm office tower rises from a multi-storey mall with a rooftop garden. This podium extends underground, where it connects two of the city’s metro lines. A characterising feature is the “sky decks” that slim down the tower’s mass to maintain the visual connection between the mountain and the waterfront. These natural landscapes are referenced in the hexagon pattern decorating the sky decks.

 Prince Plaza follows the completion of another landmark of the Chinese city by OMA, namely Shenzhen Stock Exchange.