entreepaviljoen Value Factory,
Shenzhen, China

The transformation of an old glass factory into an exhibition area with exhibition spaces, the so-called “Value Factory”, will accommodate the Shenzen and Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture. A striking entrance pavilion built on top of an existing factory space, containing a multifunctional public space, marks the entrance to the exhibition site and mediates between the ground level of the festival site and that of the surrounding area.

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As part of an international team of architects, we designed the transformation of an old glass factory into the Value Factory, the venue for the Shenzen, Hong Kong Bi-city Biennlae of Urbanism and Architecture. This event is seen as a first step to sustainably transform this location into a creative hub. At an early stage, we analyzed the location together with curator Ole Bouman and established a toolbox with design principles. The design principles for the location and the principle details for the various buildings were then determined in a multi-day on-site workshop with 15 architects.

The entrance building, the only new building on the site, stands on top of an existing hall and connects the higher, sloped level where visitors arrive with the lower level of the factory. In the lifted volume with view over the factory site is a multifunctional space for presentations and large meetings accommodated. The facades are finished with a curtain of expanded metal. By making the bottom of the new building part white, the space between the two becomes clearer buildings accentuated and the view of the factory framed. The existing heavy concrete substructure, containing a bar/restaurant, a shop, toilets and a radio station, and the new light steel superstructure placed on top of it play a subtle game with each other.

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Client: Shenzen, Hong Kong Bi-city Biennlae of Urbanism and Architecture Location: Shenzen Status: realized Collaboration: Zetao Chen, Anssi Lassila, Pedro Rivera, Lua Nitsche, Jianxiang He, Ying Jiang, Doreen Liu, Milena Zaklanovic, Marc Maurer, Teemu Hirvilammi, Shantanu Poredi, Thomas Odorico, John van de Water, Aleksandar Joksimovic and Michael Patte