Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has been selected to design Jiuzhou Bay, a new 5.6 mil-sq-ft mixed-use waterfront development in Zhuhai, China, featuring offices, residences, retail, and infrastructure.

The design aims to set a new standard for public transit in the region, with plans for a robust transportation hub that offers connections to land, sea, and rail across more than 40 acres. It also features five modular canopies that envelop three sides of a 1.8 mil-sq-ft port, weaving together a landscape of towers rising behind it and creating covered pedestrian alleyways, a lively retail environment, and interlinked courtyards along the waterfront promenade.

Complementing the site’s maritime heritage is a 1,045-ft-tall tower that rises at the heart of the neighbourhood. It comprises 35 floors of office space, topped by a 20-storey Ritz-Carlton Hotel complete with a skybar and observation deck.

According to SOM, the new waterfront development would utilise Zhuhai's most abundant natural resources - the sea and sun - to reduce natural gas consumption, conserve water, and create a comfortable environment for residents and visitors. The canopies also increase interior comfort and building efficiency by filtering daylight, harvesting energy via photovoltaic panels, and capturing rainwater.

Images: ATCHAIN