Cloud Citizen, | urban future organization

A new high-rise typology, Cloud Citizens, awarded highest prize in Shenzhen Bay Super City Competition

A networked skyscraper structure stood as one of the two winners as prizes were announced in Chinese skyscraper competition Shenzhen Bay Super City. The proposal is a networked 3D city created by members from UFO together with Karin Hedlund, Lukas Nordström, Pedram Seddighzadeh working in collaboration with Chinese firm C-R Design who worked with landscape design and the local context.

Cloud Citizens is an idea for the future city. It confronts the traditional way of building large cities and stretches the borders of personalisation, communication and densification in architecture.

Continuous metropolis

The proposal consists of one connected mega structure creating a third dimension in the city. Cloud Citizens is a continuous metropolis with programmed public space suspended in the air comprising both office and cultural space. Each suspended public space creates a profound identity and acts as a catalyst for surrounding small and big businesses. The huge variety

of space in a bustling Hutong lifestyle-like configuration creates a unique environment for interaction and creativity. Each public space is connected with a morphing green park that runs like a green lung throughout the entire structure and with a communication network in all three dimensions.

The design is a substitute to common typologies around the world today with close standing separate high-rises where only one reference plane exists on the ground and with monolithic sticks offering very little variation of space.

Networked green high-rise structure

Green corridors in the building structure act as the new plane of reference for new ways of working, new ways of meeting people and a true freedom of opportunity.
The raised semi-public spaces create a profound identity as three dimensional public spaces high up in the high-rise buildings. The distinct identity of these public spaces exist due to the connections established between the different vertical cores and the programmes and business tennants surrounding the high rise public connectors.
Not only having your business located in the Shenzhen Super City will be a decisive reference of excellence, also having an adress around one of the high rise public spaces will be a huge added value for your business.

Shenzhen Cloud City brings the amalgamation of two important worlds; The freedom of opportunity and the of enterprises so cherished Hutong lifestyle where people meet, make plans and do business.
And the image of a powerful modern financial city center with state of art office space and culture.

The future financial city is one with identity and ownership. A city with iconic buildings and,
at the same time, a local neighbourhood. A city for big enterprises and at the same time the authenticity of the highly individual entrepreneur.
This concept is translated into a truly three dimensional city, where large enterprises and successful start-ups share the same infrastructure and profit from each other to their maximum potential.

Unlimited growth potential

The office floor plates are highly flexible in use. Due to the variations in floorplates perimeters there is a huge richness of choice in size and orientation of the floorplates.
For a growing company it is of highest importancet to find an office environment that does not divide the business over separated office floors or different buildings in the city. The best office space for a thriving business is one where the directors, management and employees have a direct unmediated relationship with each other. This proposal does this by merging the towers on the higher levels. This means that there is the unique opportunity of creating horizontal floor plates of unique sizes suiting various businesses. The buildings now eliminate any barriers that could stand between the success of the company and its spatial limits. This is what we understand the financial city of the future should be like.

Seamless social lifestyle

A future city is a city of social interaction. What people do is important, but most important for wellbeing in a city is how you can seamlessly communicate and have a truly social lifestyle. This is the main reason of success behind cities that thrive. Business partners are friends and friends are business partners for the ultimate success of both.

The Shenzhen Super City is exactly this type of city. An important point of reference is the unique social qualities of the Hutong lifestyle. The Shenzhen Super City is the only city where the cherished intimate scale of the Hutong lifestyle, and the city of the future is integrated into
one ultimate streetscape.
Large business units and smaller enterprises exist harmoniously together. The variation in size comes together where the large scale units provide density and the smaller scale provide a truly human scale for the ultimate well being and success of the inhabitants of the Shenzhen Super City. Ancillary programme like squares, cafe's and restaurants provide the space for sharing and social interaction as well as the space where business is done.

Gardens with natural ventilation fold upwards to green corridors on higher levels creating a truly united public space.The public space is designed in such a way that people will want to spend time, creating an open climate for people to meet and exchange new business ideas. The public space in Shenzhen Super City accommodates for peoples lifestyles. Working in this city is a joy. The threshold between good living and doing business is eliminated. A complete and integrated holistic lifestyle with a smooth transition between the public, semi-public and private space as a result.

In Shenzhen Super City you can work, be incredibly successful and have a true life of self realization and fulfillment.

Healthy city of the future

Shenzhen Super City is the healthy city of the future. Smart materials and systems are used to give the city an optimum working environment. Shenzhen Super City will have highly advanced integrated systems to actively produce energy.
The city will be powered by a state-of-art micro wind power system integrated in the buildings perimeter. The intelligent water collection and recycling systems are linked to food production modules.

Unique phase changing materials allow the interior surfaces to function as heat recovery devices. The algae facade can produce biofuel and the windows recover heat with natural ventilation. The building membrane is designed so that carbon dioxide is converted into oxygen. Solar PV paint applied to the facade elements convert solar power into energy.

The reactive facades respond to the local climate conditions and triggers. Real time data feeds will display the consumption and production of energy of the buildings as well as weather and travel information.

The unique recycling centre below ground automatically segregates and packages the waste feed. The building system truly integrates with the smart grid and the urban resource systems. A state of the art car sharing and bike sharing system results in a consolidation of logistics. The underground transportation hub is fully integrated within the buildings infrastructure.

Connected Coastal Skyline Image
From the opposite of the Shenzhen Bay and the Hong Kong Bay Area the city will already convey the unique qualities of its city culture to its citizens and visitors alike. The city is designed from this perspective in such a way that the distinctive quality of this city is conveyed from the first moment one lays ones eye on it.

The overwhelming unique image is that of the merging of the main skyscrapers across the central park. This will be the striking icon of a connected future. This image of the city, resembling an entrance or the Chinese character 'gate', is the representation of the unique qualities of the city lifestyle this city will open up for its distinguished visitors.

We are sure that the new iconic city skyline will become the most photographed site of the entire Shenzhen Bay Ring Area, becoming the must have highlight of any young couple's wedding photographic reportage where everyone will fall in love with.
We believe that with this coastal skyline one does not need city promotion, as this logo of the Shenzhen Super City brand name will travel the world over convincing the top industry executives to open their headquarters operations base in this city.

Executive Summary

The Shenzhen Super Super City is the creation of a new financial district for Shenzhen making the city part of the league of cities including La Defence Paris, Canary Wharf London, ECB Frankfurt Area and the Presnensky District in Moscow.
The new city acts as the next step in the development of the Shenzhen Bay Ring area from a production oriented city to a modern service-, hightech-, information- and creative industry innovative city forming a headquarters operations base.

The city consists of one connected super city in which all buildings are potentially one. A continuous city with programmed public space suspended in the air comprising office and cultural space boasting spectacular views over the Shenzhen Bay Ring Area and beyond. Within the suspended public entities there is a huge variety of space in a bustling Hutong lifestyle like configuration forming an iconic coastal skyline that will be the strongest city brand that will travel the world over.