The competition design for the Shenzhen International Performance Center was conceived as a key component of a three-building cultural complex planned for the Xiangmi Lake area in the city centre. For this rapidly developing metropolis of nearly twenty million inhabitants, the project represented at once a new piece of cultural infrastructure, a civic symbol and an architectural expression of the city’s forty-year development. ZDA was invited to participate in the international competition; its proposal was selected as a finalist and ultimately received a shared second prize.

The aim of the design was to create a genuine cultural public building that would serve not only as a home for the performing arts, but also as an open community space and an everyday destination for the city’s residents. The concept interprets the building as an urban oasis: a place that offers an inspiring, permeable and welcoming environment for artists, audiences, visitors and local inhabitants alike.

The formal concept draws on the mountain and rock motifs deeply rooted in Chinese culture. The building mass evokes the permanence, security and elevated quality of mythical mountains, while the publicly accessible green roof functions as a continuation of the surrounding urban park. At street level, the façade begins as a series of distinct stone bands that gradually merge into a more unified system as they rise, ultimately becoming the structural support for the roof gardens.

The building is conceived around a triple mode of operation: as a palace of the arts, a place of community encounter and a cultural urban destination. The performance halls, foyers and public circulation spaces are organised so that the building remains open, accessible and usable throughout the day. The ground-floor spaces can open directly onto the main square, while the panoramic roof garden functions as an urban public space that can be accessed independently from the rest of the building’s programme.

The Dream Theatre was designed as a flexible and transformable multifunctional performance venue capable of accommodating a wide range of events, from classical theatre and concerts to experimental productions, film screenings, award ceremonies and civic gatherings. With a capacity adjustable between 1,600 and 2,800 seats, together with a movable proscenium, transformable auditorium and stage lift-and-turntable system, it offers a level of technological flexibility capable of responding even to performance formats and artistic needs not yet known today.

The sustainability concept is integrated with the architectural form itself. The foyer towers provide shade for the interior spaces while allowing sunlight to penetrate during cooler periods; the elevated green roof improves the microclimate, reduces the urban heat island effect and, through its water-retaining layers, aligns with Shenzhen’s Sponge City principles. In this way, the proposal brings together the demands of Chinese representation, European functional thinking and contemporary performing arts technology within a single, powerful architectural vision.