Shenzhen Civic Center

Shenzhen Civic Center

The Shenzhen Civic Center is a comprehensive building that integrates multiple functions such as government offices, the People's Congress, museums, and auditoriums. Its architectural style is simple, bright, dignified yet vibrant, making it one of the most iconic buildings in Shenzhen. The Civic Center is only open for exterior viewing, but many tourists come here to take a look and snap photos.

The Civic Center is located on the central axis of Shenzhen’s central district, with the Futian CBD to the south, where towering skyscrapers stand impressively, and Shenzhen Lotus Hill Park to the north, offering beautiful and expansive scenery. The east wing of the Civic Center houses the Shenzhen Museum, while the west side consists of government office buildings. Nearby, there are also attractions such as the Shenzhen Book City, Concert Hall, and Children’s Palace, making it a great value destination for visitors.

As the place where the “roc spreads its wings,” Shenzhen has always soared at the forefront of reform and opening up, leading the tide of reform and shaping the image of an international metropolis.

The Shenzhen Civic Center serves as the main office complex for the municipal government and also functions as a venue for public recreational activities. It has become the most iconic building in Shenzhen and a symbolic representation of the municipal government.

The design and construction of the Shenzhen Civic Center embody modern urban concepts and the spirit of the times. Symbolized by the roc spreading its wings, the wave-like lines “like clouds drooping into wings” signify Shenzhen’s development as “a roc soaring ninety thousand li,” reflecting a pioneering and innovative spirit. The curves offer a sense of approachability and strong visual impact, with rhythmic elegance that suggests efficient coordination among government departments and rapid, harmonious development across various industries in Shenzhen.

The completion of the Shenzhen Civic Center marks a significant milestone in the planning and construction of the city’s central district. With the core structure—the Civic Center—now in place, the envisioned “urban living room” planned by the municipal government is expected to be realized within two years. Upon completion, it will rival New York’s famous Central Park. The developed central district will provide multinational corporations with a convenient and efficient business environment, offer citizens a high-quality public space, deliver a beautiful tourism environment for visitors, and create comfortable spaces for work and life for people of all kinds. Its development and construction symbolize Shenzhen’s second leap forward and represent the city’s urban construction emblem for the 21st century.

As a key project in Shenzhen’s municipal construction, the Civic Center strives for an overall style that is simple, bright, dignified, and vibrant, thereby showcasing its openness. The stable and grounded space is enlivened by the use of glass and the curved lines of ascending staircases. A four-story-high fiber-optic light installation runs through the center, softly shifting colors under computer program control, giving every visitor an unexpected experience. The People’s Congress Hall features a steady style with warm tones, a circular ceiling design, and shimmering fiber-optic lights encircling a red five-pointed star, creating a highly cohesive atmosphere. The interplay of glass, metal, marble, and smooth wood gives the entire space a natural, minimalist, mature, and restrained feel.

On May 31, 2004, the new government office site of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, the Shenzhen Civic Center, was officially put into use. This marked the complete relocation of the municipal government and its 21 subordinate functional departments into the Civic Center.

The Civic Center was designed by the American architectural firm Lee/Timchula. The entire structure is massive, with one basement level, five above-ground floors, a total floor area of 210,000 square meters, an overall length of 435 meters, and a maximum width of 145 meters. The total investment amounted to 2.3 billion RMB. It is divided into three sections: the West Zone, Central Zone, and East Zone. The West Zone mainly consists of government office spaces, housing over twenty bureaus, including lobbies, conference halls, corridors, offices for leaders, and regular offices.

The Central Zone is primarily composed of public spaces, including the main entrance lobby, government service windows, document processing hall, main public corridor, multi-functional hall, VIP reception hall, public ceremony hall, People’s Congress Hall, underground banquet hall, and VIP dining hall.

The East Zone mainly houses the offices of the People’s Congress. In addition, the Civic Center also contains a museum, industrial exhibition hall, archives, and more.

Shenzhen Museum

Shenzhen Industrial Exhibition Hall

Shenzhen Industrial Exhibition Hall

Address: B1, Zone B, Shenzhen Civic Center, Futian District, Shenzhen

Shenzhen Industrial Exhibition Hall

Type: Modern Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: 10–15 minutes

Transportation: Take Metro Lines Longhua (Line 4) or Shekou (Line 2) to Civic Center Station.