CO-SPHERE: EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE CITIES is a regular exhibition hosted by Shenzhen Design Tower. In 2022, Shenzhen's technological innovation capacity ranks first in China in the Global Innovation Hubs Index, and the city has been listed in the nation's Smart City Pilot Program. The exhibition, curated by CABLE and designed by fabersociety, showcases both frontiers and practices in sustainable city making, and aims to introduce new projecsts every quarter to operate as a streetfront "window of the world".

The exhibition invites the audience to follow the Roadmap for Co-Sphere, through the five stops PERSPECTIVE - FABRICATION - DATA - SYSTEM - ACTION, and explore a sustainable urban future together. Projects by MVRDV, Space 10, Tencent CityBase, BIGSimulo, China Construction S&T Group, among others, map a wide array of practice and research in topics including parametrics design, intelligent construction, innovative organization and city data science.

The exhibition site is renovated from the tower's previously inactive lobby wing, so circulation in and out of the gallery space remains vital. The design evolves around five circular "islands", connecting spaces including entry hall, main gallery, screening and multi-purpose room for meetings after the exhibition tour. Wall surfaces and elevator lobby doors are combined to ensure visual unity, while presenting different expressions between daily in-house flows and external visits.

The installations each create flexible, movable and interactive experiences at various level, all trying to set up a physical platform for future content updates. To make sure that the interior and installation materials respond also to the theme of sustainability, air bricks, OSB and recycled aluminum sheets make up the main materials utilized in the project. 

Time: 2022

Location: Guangdong, China

Curator: CABLE

Design: fabersociety