The city of Shenzhen, a special economic development zone adjacent to Hong Kong, is an important commercial center striving to build on its reputation as the southern "Gateway to China." The Renmin Boulevard corridor redevelopment area, in response to several infrastructure additions including the new Louhu Station and a new subway system, is slated to become an energized and exciting new urban center for the City that would attract both residents and visitors. A competition was held for the design of a new streetscape for Renmin Boulevard-one that would integrate this new transportation link with existing and proposed office, commercial, and residential development in an unforgettably dynamic setting. The design proposes a distinct set of attractions and characteristics that give a sense of unity and identity to the currently ill-defined corridor, create an improved setting for social interaction, and make the street unlike any other district within the city.

Elements

The design for the corridor contains three major elements-the train station and north gate at the ends, and Renmin Square in the middle-that provide visual and physical definition as well as activity nodes. Louhu Station, for many visitors the first impression of the city, serves as an introduction to both Shenzhen and to the RenMin Boulevard District. Elements and concepts found within the station are utilized throughout the RenMin corridor. Renmin Square, the other transportation center and "arrival zone," represents the corridor's center of activity and the location of the new subway station. This `Times Square' of Shenzhen will be active as both a daytime and nighttime entertainment and shopping district. Centrally located in the corridor, it serves as the focal point of this street and will create energized commercial opportunities to both the north and south. The square contains a street-level plaza in addition to a two-level subterranean plaza providing access to the station and retail areas. Spanned by a series of bridges at street level, the sunken plaza includes a wrap-around water wall that falls from street level to lower plaza level. Light towers and a glowing conical building featuring provocative, avante-garde products rise from the bottom of the plaza and rise above street level, linking the lower and upper plazas. The street-level plaza contains paved gathering and entertainment areas and a "water garden" featuring water synchronized with music and light. Paving bands unite the elements of the square and the two other plazas on adjacent corners of the intersection, and direct pedestrians from the street over the sunken plaza to the proposed commercial and entertainment complex. Street trees, integrating the plaza with the rest of the corridor, and lawns create a cooling effect essential in this hot, humid climate. The trees also provide overflow space for large public gatherings in the plaza.

Flow

Another major design challenge was to maximize both transit function and pedestrian use area along the boulevard through the reduction of traffic lanes. Four alternative arrangements of the vehicular lanes, each with different effects on the surrounding use areas, consider both aesthetics and functionality as experienced by the pedestrian and the transit/vehicular user. In each scheme, expanded pedestrian areas facilitate movement, allow easy access to shopping areas, and provide ample space for social interaction. They include "urban rooms" for rest and relaxation, the enjoyment of art and street performances, and other activities along this dynamic street. Pavilions-housing cafes, coffee and tea shops-and other vendors contribute to the rhythm of the street and also form an integral part of the lighting design, with columns of light projecting upwards into the sky. The widened pedestrian realm also includes a program of street trees. These trees visually integrate the diverse elements of the street, provide shaded areas for pedestrians, and contribute to the inter-connected ecological systems of the city.

Energy

The most striking and identifiable aspect of the new streetscape will be the intensity and diversity of activity and sensation, during both day and night. This will include visually exciting displays of color, light, and information, providing an ever-changing experience. Continuing in the Shenzhen tradition, Renmin Boulevard will utilize lighting systems to provide direction, establish a sense of place, create rhythm and cadence along the street, and create visual excitement within the district. Lighting will be used to create visual systems at many different levels and will both delight and tease the eye. Color, motion, intensity, and change will contribute to the energetic quality of the street. Brightly-colored, illuminated banners, changing seasonally and announcing special events scheduled in Rennin Square, will provide additional excitement and further define the corridor's identity.

Impact

The transformation of Rennin Boulevard from an undistinquished city street into Shenzhen's primary commercial and entertainment district will rely on much more than visual cohesiveness, improved access, and the creation of ample public and commercial space. The greatest challenge of the project has been to design an experience as much as a physical landscape, existing in the mind as much as on the ground. The new district's unparalleled diversity and vibrancy will create an unforgettable first impression of Shenzhen and, for many visitors, China as well, creating dramatic benefits for local businesses as well as residents and tourists. It will also influence the conception of other urban streetscapes seeking to develop unique, modern identities, particularly in a region of the world so intensely focused on development and on the future.