QIANHAI in western Shenzhen will be built into a “coastal water town,” as envisaged by a U.S. company in its winning design for the area.

    The design, contributed by James Corner Field Operations, a New York urban planning and landscape architecture firm, was announced the winner by Shenzhen’s urban planning, land and resources commission Saturday, beating seven other finalists.

    The design envisions five coastal corridors winding through Qianhai in Nanshan District, dividing the 18 sqkm area into subdistricts with unique architecture styles and public functions.

    Ecological water use is a highlight of the design, focusing on new efficient water conservation facilities to help recycle water.

    A panel consisting of nine prestigious architects from all over the world said the winning design is “impressive, creative and feasible.”

    Sixty-two companies worldwide had submitted designs to Shenzhen’s urban planning commission since it launched an international design competition Dec. 31.

    Shenzhen will work with Hong Kong to develop Qianhai into “South China’s Manhattan,” in a bid to make the area one of the foremost service industry centers in the Pearl River Delta (PRD).

    The development is intended to make Qianhai a “second center” of Shenzhen, after Futian District.

    “Futian is the center of the city while Qianhai focuses on serving the whole PRD region including Hong Kong,” Xu Chongguang, vice head of the commission, said at a press conference at the end of last year.

    Featuring service and high-tech industries, including finance, logistics and media services, the area is expected to play a crucial role in the city’s economic development.

    (Li Jing)