Advertisement
Tencent
TechInnovation

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

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
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
Iris Deng
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.

“A typical city calls for simplistic and efficient zoning to keep everything under strict control and facilitate the flow of goods, cars and people,” Ward said.

“This principle was driven by a love for the industrial age machine. In today’s computer-driven world, we are free to imagine a highly integrated city that brings ‘work, live, play’ closer together to foster more synergy between people.”

Tencent’s Net City will be an interconnected project encompassing office buildings, residential and public space, in Shenzhen. Photo: Handout
Tencent’s Net City will be an interconnected project encompassing office buildings, residential and public space, in Shenzhen. Photo: Handout

Net City features 200 hectares of building space, including a new Tencent office building at its heart, living areas, schools, retail stores, parks and public transport among other amenities, according to NBBJ.

Advertisement