Tencent plans futuristic neighbourhood in Shenzhen inspired by the internet’s distributed network

  • The planned 132.6-hectare Net City in Shenzhen’s Dachanwan port area is slated to start construction by the end of this year
  • With tech companies wielding increasing influence globally, many are making their mark physically on the urban landscape with sprawling projects

Chinese internet giant Tencent is building a 200 hectare “Net City”, an interconnected space including office buildings, residential and public space, in Shenzhen. Photo: Handout
When Tencent Holdings was founded in 1998, most Chinese households did not even have access to the internet. A lot has changed in the two decades since. China’s online population is now the largest in the world, and Tencent, an early mover in internet-related services and products, is one of the biggest names in the industry.

Fittingly, Tencent’s ambitious new urban development project pays tribute to its roots. The planned 132.6-hectare Net City in Shenzhen’s Dachanwan port area, slated to start construction by the end of this year, is designed to reflect the “distributed network of the internet itself”, according to Jonathan Ward, a design partner at Seattle-based architectural firm NBBJ, the designers for the project.

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