This is the “XI Vista Summit”.

“XI” stands for Sunset: where golden sunset paired with twilight clouds make for the finest vantage point in western Shenzhen to admire the setting sun.

“XI” stands for Tide: where surging tides across the bay embody the rhythmic echo of marine vitality along the western coastline.

“XI” stands for West: where this gateway pinnacle on the bay’s western shore offers the very first glimpse of Shenzhen for visitors exiting the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link.

……

As Shenzhen’s urban quality enhancement enters a new cycle defined by meticulous governance and strategic guidance, the Urban Index of Shenzhen (UIS), through its six dimensions—Innovation, Livability, Beauty, Resilience, Civility, and Intelligence—is redefining the city’s vision. Among these, Livability and Beauty serve as not only evaluation metrics, but also touchpoints through which citizens perceive the warmth of the city. In line with the city’s aspiration to evolve into a global benchmark and international marine hub, we need to shift our focus to key landscape nodes that bear residents’ yearning for a better life. The summit platform of Tiezai Mountain Park, as a key implementation carrier under both the Municipal Government’s Top-Ten Quality and Efficiency Enhancement Initiatives and the 2026 Marine Vitality and Landscape Enhancement Program for Shenzhen’s Western Coastal Zone, is a key anchor within this strategic framework.

Themed “Xi Vista Summit,” this edition of the Small & Smart Design Competition is jointly initiated by the Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, the Ocean Development Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, and the Bao’an District People’s Government. As an innovative initiative under the UIS framework, the Competition calls for visionary design proposals for the summit platform of Tiezai Mountain Park in Xixiang Sub-district.

We invite participants to deeply explore the unique value of the five-in-one panoramic view of “mountains, the sea, the urban skyline, the bridge, and passing airplanes.” We expect them to upgrade the summit from an impromptu check-in spot into a highly visible and sustainably vibrant public destination in western Shenzhen, as well as an aerial visual gateway to an international coastal metropolis, shaping a timeless piece of public art atop the mountain for both the city and its citizens.

Location Overview

Tiezai Mountain Park is located in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, adjacent to the Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, serving as the visual focal point for entry into Shenzhen via sea, land, and air transportation. The park and its surrounding green spaces—Pingluanshan Park, Bihaiwan Park, and Xiwan Mangrove Park—together form the western mountain-sea park belt.

Design Task

This competition focuses on the summit platform of Tiezai Mountain Park, covering a core site area of approximately 9,403.52 square meters. Participants are required to synchronously deliver both the architectural design for the summit platform and the landscape design for the site.

Given the site’s unique endowment of a five-in-one panoramic view encompassing “mountains, the sea, the urban skyline, the bridge, and passing airplanes,” the scope of design research must be expanded to interrelated areas such as Gushu, the Airport,  and Bihai. Designers must comprehensively address the overall relationship between the summit platform, the regional mountain-sea spatial pattern, and the urban interface.

Design Principles

The design shall adhere to the following four principles:

1.[Value Cognition] Site-Specificity

Delve into the physical geography and urban gateway role of Tiezai Mountain to unearth its unique value. Distinguish the site from other summit platforms through perspectives like the mountain-sea spatial pattern, urban development, civic perception, and aerial views, to inject profound significance into the site beyond mere sightseeing.

2.[Dual Perspectives] Landmark Quality

The landmark quality stems from the non-replicable five-in-one panoramic view (“mountains, seas, the city, the bridge, and airplanes”) and its role as the western aerial visual gateway. The design must balance the interplay between visitors viewing the landscape and the summit platform being viewed—enhancing the environmental quality for visitors standing there and clearing cluttered elements that obstruct the view; while also considering the visual presentation of the summit platform when overlooked from airplanes, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, and looking up from the sea. Precise spatial interventions shall respond to the need for recognizability in a communication context, making “standing here looking at the Bay Area” a perceivable and memorable peak experience.

3.[Lightweight Aesthetics] Light Footprint

The project is positioned as a lightweight summit platform, calling for low impact and light engineering. Its design shall be aesthetically pleasing, practical, and economically rational. Over-design that leads to escalated investment shall be avoided. All architectural spaces must revolve around the act of sightseeing, with pure functions and restrained massing. The layout shall conform to the topography to avoid disrupting the summit’s ecology and wildlife habitats.

4.[Adaptability] Flexibility

Employ resilient strategies to address the dual uncertainties of fluctuating footfall and functional evolution. The spatial design shall adapt to variations in visitor numbers—refined and comfortable on weekdays, while expandable and adaptable during holidays. The functional layout shall incorporate flexible interfaces to accommodate lightweight commercial formats, pop-up events, and seasonal exhibitions, enabling the viewing platform to grow in vitality.

Academic Advisor

Zhu Xiongyi 

Vice President of Design, CCDI International Architectural Design Consultants Co., Ltd.; Lead Architect, CCDI Dongxiying Studio