Currently under construction in the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base, JD.com’s new headquarters will be a prominent feature in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, a flourishing business and financial hub serving the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. The project, named “Scenic City” and designed by Büro Ole Scheeren, focuses on in-between spaces to create a future model for a nature-infused workspace experience.
The design consists of 2 million square feet (185,806 square meters) of office, hotel, retail, and cultural spaces across two high-rises and an adjacent “urban spine”. Sitting on top of the urban spine is JD Hub, a cultural venue housing a theatre and exhibition space open to the public. Beneath is a shared podium that will host a variety of cultural events. With its mixed-use offer and strategic positioning of accessible spaces, the campus is designed to integrate with its surroundings and stimulate activity within its urban context.
Reaching nearly 200 meters in height, Scenic City is composed of individual blocks that relate to the varying urban scales surrounding it while their organic forms echo the natural contours of the nearby mountainous landscape.
A trajectory of open, in-between spaces meanders through the buildings and creates the social spine of the headquarters. Enhanced through intelligent passive design with plantings and natural ventilation, these three-dimensional scenic spaces are shielded against the region’s harsh sun and heavy rainfall. The result is a campus that is both open and interconnected, allowing city life and nature to flow in and out.
The facades of Scenic City’s towers bear a subtle resemblance to waterfalls. Vertical louvers provide ventilation and modulate the glass’s reflectivity and transparency. The facade detailing offers visual cues to the scenic landscape but also creates a distinct identity for the headquarters.
Towards the lower levels, the waterfall-like facades dissipate, increasing permeability and transparency on the street level to invite the public to engage with the building. On the podium levels, JD World offers active street frontage, fusing cultural, exhibition and corporate spaces into an interactive ecosystem. This is anchored by a “central park” that extends from the ground to the roof of the podium, creating a continuous public green promenade.
The project’s connection to nature is continued by weaving lush greenery vertically throughout the two buildings. The facades open at certain intervals to provide glimpses of the building’s interior and exterior spaces. These moments of vertical landscape are complemented by green terraces placed throughout, offering staff access to spaces for relaxation and encouraging social interaction on every floor.
Ole Scheeren was selected following a competitive international bidding process. Construction on the project commenced in early 2022 and is slated for completion by the end of 2027.
Learn more about this project at Büro Ole Scheeren.