In Shenzhen’s Nanshan District — a thriving commercial and financial hub serving the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao — studio Büro Ole Scheeren has presented the winning design for Scenic City, the future home of JD.com, China’s largest digital retailer.

Büro Ole Scheeren’s design for Scenic City Towers focuses on “in-between” spaces that reflect a future model of a workspace immersed in nature. Covering an area of approximately 186,000 sqm, it will house offices, a hotel, retail and cultural spaces in both towers, while offering public and green spaces located on each floor. At the top of this urban spine is the JD Hub, a cultural venue housing a theater and public exhibition space.

With a height of nearly 200 meters, the towers’ decomposition into individual blocks echoes the different surrounding urban scales, while their organic forms recall the natural contours of the nearby mountainous landscape. “The architecture incorporates some of the qualities of local vernacular architecture, building on Lingnan's traditional features of porches, balconies and terraces that enhance comfort and quality of life. Through clever passive design with plants and natural ventilation, these scenic three-dimensional spaces are protected from the region's scorching sun and heavy rainfall,” explains Ole Scheeren.

The project’s connection to nature continues as lush vegetation weaves vertically through the towers. The facades open up at regular intervals to provide glimpses of the building’s interior and exterior spaces. These vertical landscape moments are complemented by green terraces placed throughout the towers, which provide staff with access to spaces for relaxation and encourage social interaction on each floor.