Golden A' Design Award Winner 2020
QUAD studio's Megalopolis X Shenzhen Super Headquarter presents a breathtaking aerial perspective revealing a masterfully conceived urban ensemble where a dramatic supertall tower rises with commanding verticality from an organically shaped waterfront platform, the central spire articulating itself through a series of stacked volumetric modules punctuated by warm-toned horizontal bands of copper or bronze-clad sky lobbies that rhythmically interrupt the crystalline glass curtain wall ascending to what appears to exceed six hundred meters in height. The compositional architecture employs a centralized radial scheme emanating from the luminous diamond-shaped pavilion at the platform's heart, its faceted roof structure glowing with warm amber illumination that suggests an activated public realm beneath tensile membrane or ETFE canopy systems. The chromatic palette demonstrates sophisticated restraint, dominated by cool steel blues and silvered grays of the glass tower facades against a atmospheric sky rendered in gradients of pearl gray, lavender, and soft cerulean suggesting either dawn or dusk's golden hour transition. Secondary towers flank the primary spire in asymmetrical arrangement, their varied heights and massing creating a dynamic skyline silhouette that avoids monotonous repetition while maintaining visual cohesion through consistent material language and proportional relationships. The waterfront platform itself becomes a landscape of curvilinear pathways, verdant green spaces rendered in viridian and emerald tones, and pedestrian promenades that embrace the water's edge with organic fluidity suggesting biomorphic design principles. The figure-ground relationship achieves remarkable balance between the dense vertical development and generous horizontal public realm, the platform appearing to float upon the water like a great leaf or botanical form. Atmospheric perspective renders the background urban context in progressively softer focus, establishing clear spatial hierarchy while suggesting the project's contextual integration within a larger metropolitan fabric. The lighting suggests late afternoon or early evening conditions, with warm reflected light animating the tower facades and creating subtle chromatic variations across the glass surfaces.
Megalopolis X will be the new center in the heart of the greater bay area, close to the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The master plan integrates architecture with pedestrian networks, parks and public spaces. Above and below ground transportation networks are being planned by maximizing connectivity in the city. A below ground sustainable infrastructure network will provide systems for district cooling and automatic waste treatment in a seamless manner. The aim is to establish a creative master plan framework of how cities will be designed in the future.