A team consisting of David Chipperfield, OMA, and Sou Fujimoto is leading the design of an expansive, $1.4 billion cultural-retail complex on the coast of Shenzhen. 

Called K11 ECOAST, the development will span more than 2.4 million square feet and be located in Prince Bay in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District. The project is being jointly developed by Hong Kong billionaire Adrian Cheng’s New World Development Company Limited, along with China Merchants Shekou Holdings in Shenzhen. 

The project is part of the Chinese government’s effort to develop its Greater Bay Area region, which includes southern cities, such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou, into arts and business hubs by 2035. Cheng’s vision for K11 ECOAST is to establish a new creative and cultural destination for the region. The complex will consist of a mall, multi-purpose art space, office buildings, and a promenade. The complex’s design places an emphasis on balancing the architecture with the surrounding coastal landscape. 

The project has also established partnerships with world-renowned art and cultural institutions, such as MoMA PS1, the Centre Pompidou, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Palais de Tokyo, to direct the art spaces. It will serve as a stage for both contemporary artists from around the world and up-and-coming Chinese artists to showcase their work. 

K11 ECOAST is the largest total LEED Platinum pre-certified cluster of buildings in the Greater Bay Area, with three WELL pre-certified and LEED Platinum pre-certified buildings. According to the project announcement, the complex was designed in accordance with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan national guidelines on environmental protection and sustainable development for the circular economy. It is expected to feature stormwater management systems as well as 60,000 square meters (645,800 square feet) of outdoor landscaping. 

The ambitious development is set to open in 2024.