International architectural firm 10 Design has revealed the design for the Shenzhen Qianhai Huafa Ice and Snow World project, covering 1.31 million square meters. This new cultural and tourism landmark in Shenzhen harmoniously reflects the local natural landscape while paving the way for fresh urban development opportunities.
In 2021, 10 Design, part of the Egis Group, leveraged its extensive experience in venue creation to win an international design competition for Huafa Ice and Snow World—a 430,000 square meter urban cultural and tourism landmark in Qianhai, Shenzhen. The centerpiece, Huafa Ice and Snow Center, is a themed cultural, tourism, commercial, and office complex featuring the world’s largest indoor ski resort, a JW Marriott Hotel, shopping center, and specialty office spaces. Construction is well underway, with an expected opening by the end of 2025.
Located strategically in Shenzhen Qianhai Bay’s emerging technology hub, close to Shenzhen International Airport and a major intercity transport center, Huafa Ice and Snow World is designed to attract both local visitors and international business and leisure travelers seeking unique experiences. This visionary project includes diverse commercial formats, featuring approximately 80,000 square meters of indoor skiing, alongside retail, entertainment, hotel, municipal, and cultural facilities, establishing a vibrant new cultural and tourism landmark in western Shenzhen.
The master plan takes full advantage of the site’s superior waterfront location. A north-south urban green axis divides the development into three clusters: a themed leisure and entertainment zone along the western edge featuring the iconic ice and snow center building; a central green space park offering open and active cultural public spaces; and residential and retail clusters running east-west that link to nearby communities.
“Our vision is to create a fully immersive experience that serves both tourists and local residents,” said Chin Yong Ng, Director of Commercial Retail Design.
At the heart of the project, Central Park merges expansive green spaces with a variety of support facilities, forming a lively activity hub and public area that breathes vitality into the development. Visitors can engage with the local community or relax amidst the lush greenery.
Huafa Ice and Snow Center, the project’s core, maximizes its riverside setting, combining state-of-the-art indoor skiing facilities with themed retail and hotel spaces to offer a seamless entertainment and leisure experience. The ski slope stretches approximately 441 meters in length with an 83-meter vertical drop. To accommodate this, 10 Design crafted a feather-like lightweight structure that undulates gracefully above the main building.
“To avoid an overwhelming scale, we divided the building into multiple staggered volumes, creating dynamic components that blend immersive retail, entertainment, leisure, and office spaces within the FUNMIX Vitality Space,” shared design director Lukasz Wawrzenczyk. “This approach encourages exploration and serves as an engaging gateway to the ski center.”
The themed commercial street extends from the FUNMIX activity space, linking the ski center with the hotel, office towers, and other facilities. Unlike traditional open-air shopping streets, this semi-indoor promenade is designed to host various celebrations and events, complementing the adjacent hotels. The five-star luxury hotel, positioned at the ski center entrance, features a large banquet hall on the lower floor offering panoramic views of the ski resort.
Huafa Ice and Snow World targets the new generation of consumers, focusing on social engagement. It offers innovative themed retail spaces and interactive facilities, creating an open, immersive cultural and tourism destination. The design team incorporated the ice and snow theme throughout, using materials like ceramic and aluminum panels to recreate the textures of glaciers and ice crystals, resulting in a modern, sleek facade and detailed interior spaces.
The project emphasizes green, energy-efficient, and sustainable design principles. The main building’s undulating roof will be fitted with solar panels to supply energy to the ski center and adjacent commercial spaces. Additionally, a rainwater collection system irrigates landscape vegetation, while green spaces incorporate sponge city concepts as wetland protection areas to mitigate urban flooding and reduce environmental impact.
Huafa Ice and Snow World blends innovative design, cutting-edge technology, and diverse experiences to become a leading cultural and tourism landmark. It is poised to boost local economic development and offer a new green living space for urban residents.
Project Drawings
△ Model diagram
△ Model diagram
△ Model diagram
△ Hand-drawn aerial view
△ Hand-drawn sectional perspective
Project Information
Project Name: Shenzhen Qianhai Huafa Ice and Snow World
Location: Shenzhen, China
Client: Shenzhen Ronghua Land Investment Co., Ltd
Project Type: Complex including Entertainment, Leisure, Retail, Hotel, Office, Residential
Design Scope: Master Planning, Architectural Design
Planned Area: 430,000 square meters
Total Construction Area: Approximately 1.31 million square meters (overall master plan); about 339,000 square meters (Phase I)
Status: Under construction
Design Team
Design Directors: Chin Yong Ng, Lukasz Wawrzenczyk
Project Directors: Javier Perea, Wen Ren
Project Managers: Tem Wu, William Wong, Jin Chen
Construction Team (competition stage): Domenico Conti, Almudena Lacruz, Fisher Yu, Karol Kurzak, Stephanie Mendoza, Rochana Verma, Leo Liu, Forest Pan, Sandy Tang, Bruce Ren, Ewa Koter
Construction Team (post-project phase): Jan Tang, Anthony Stott, Calvin Kwan, Fisher Yu, Leo Liu, Peggy Wong, Alvin Zhuang, Adrian Wen, Muzhen Huang, Jenny Li, Ryan Li, Jiaming Geng, Julius Zhu, Teddy Fan, Almudena Lacruz, Rochana Verma, Carrie Wang, Raymond Chan
CGI Team: Lulu Guo, Yasser Salomon, Henry Han, Adisak Yavilas
Advisory Team
10 Design: Master Planner, Lead Architect
SBA: Hotel Planner
VTJZ: Local Architect
WSP: Mechanical and Electrical Consultant
CABR: Curtain Wall Consultant
BIAD: Structural Engineer
TYDI: BIM Consultant
MVA: Transportation Consultant
DPH: Retail Interior Designer
J&B: Lighting Consultant
CCD: Hotel Interior Designer
D+H: Landscape Designer
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