Australia's DBI Design overseeing new $3 billion micro city in China
The recent rush of Chinese-backed development in Australia has created inroads for some of the country's architecture firms to also export their design expertise.
DBI Design team has just won the tender to the masterplan of a $3 billion development for a new financial district in Shantou, 300 kilometres north-east of Hong Kong - billed as a new 'micro city'.
The project will include 10 commercial buildings, 16 apartment and residential towers, two hotels , a shopping centre, cultural precinct and marina.
The new micro city will house more than 7,000 permanent residents, accommodate more than 2,000 tourists and support a working population of more than 22,000.
The new community, which is being developed on the 68 hectare site of an abandoned theme park, will be known as the Shantou Overseas Financial Centre.
DBI Design director Raith Anderson says Shantou Overseas Financial Centre is the company's next headline international development, following on from the $1.5 billion Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, which was completed in 2012 and has won accolades in the 2011 World Travel Awards and 2012 Emporis World Skyscraper Awards.
It will take about eight years to develop.
"This clearly shows that it is a two way street in terms of Australian-Chinese property development.
"While we have seen a lot of Chinese-led projects in Australia recently, the Chinese are very receptive to high quality design proposals from Australian firms," he said adding China was increasingly moving away from design conformity and embracing creativity.
"It's all about big picture thinking - creating a whole new space where people can live, work and play. While this project is branded a financial centre and the emphasis is on the two signature 380 metre high commercial and hotel towers, the vision is to attract permanent residents and tourists too - it will be a new destination in its own right."
The Shantou Overseas Financial Centre is being developed by JinFeng Group, a large Guangdong-based private enterprise headquartered in central Hong Kong.
With a registered capital of RMB200 million and total assets worth over RMB10 billion, the Group’s operations have grown from its core real estate business into diversified areas including construction, tourism, mining and financial investment.
