The Honghu Water Purification Plant, Shenzhen - Photo © Zhang Chao
The Honghu Water Purification Plant, Shenzhen - Photo © Zhang Chao

The Honghu Water Purification Plant, located in a lotus-themed municipal park in Luohu District, Shenzhen, is a key project for water pollution control in the city, which employs an advanced fully-buried water purification technology. NODE designed the restored surface landscape on top of the water purification facility, and the underground offices at the northern end.

The architects went beyond engineering logic to create an aesthetically-pleasing and community-friendly public space. Their research extracted elements from the spatial prototypes of the pagodas, pavilions, gazebos, and corridors of traditional Lingnan gardens, transforming them with contemporary design languages and materials.

They transformed the highest vent shaft into a bird watching platform and an important lotus landmark in the Park. The medium and small-sized vent shafts containing evacuation stairs were designed with accessible paths and platforms, or covered with greenery, reflecting different characteristics in spatial form for public experiences.

Main Contractor: Shenzhen Water Group
LDI: China Municipal Engineering Southwest Design and Research Institute
Structural and MEP Engineer: China Municipal Engineering Southwest Design and Research Institute
Lighting Consultant: Shenzhen Light Program Technology
Photo credits: Zhang Chao