Establishing a waterfront gateway

The Greater Bay Area—a collection of nine coastal cities in China and the administrative regions of Macau and Hong Kong—is one of the world’s leading hubs for technological innovation and industry. That economic growth is spurring large-scale development, and Jiuzhou Bay brings a new community to the waterfront in Zhuhai, China. Inspired by the city’s maritime history, SOM’s design and master plan leverages the site’s proximity to the Pearl River with a new ferry terminal, and features offices, residences, and retail to accommodate many new residents and visitors.

Creating a transit-oriented neighborhood

The design sets a new standard for public transit in the region, with a multimodal transportation hub that offers ferry, rail, and bus service connecting travelers with the city and the region. It features five modular canopies that shade all three sides of the port, creating a series of covered pedestrian alleyways, a lively retail environment, and interlinked courtyards along the waterfront promenade.

The new neighborhood is designed to use Zhuhai’s most abundant natural resources—the sea and sun—to reduce natural gas consumption, conserve water, and create a comfortable environment for residents, office workers, shoppers, and nightlife seekers. The canopies filter daylight, harvesting energy through photovoltaic panels, capture rainwater, and provide pedestrians with a protected pathway leading to new towers surrounding the port.

A landmark on the skyline

Complementing the site’s maritime heritage is a tower that rises at the heart of the neighborhood, creating a recognizable structure with a design inspired by the form of a lighthouse Fresnel lens. The tower includes 35 floors of offices topped by a 20-story Ritz-Carlton Hotel, complete with a sky bar and observation deck. The tower is diagonally bisected by an axis that appears to peel open the facade, revealing a vertical atrium that offers visitors breathtaking views of the bay.