O·POWER Culture & Arts Centre by Shenzhen Huahui Design: A Revitalized Industrial Landmark in Shenzhen

 Architects: Shenzhen Huahui Design 

Reimagining Heritage: From Power Plant to Cultural Beacon

Nestled in the heart of Shenzhen's Overseas Chinese Town, the O·POWER Culture & Arts Centre stands as a powerful testament to adaptive reuse and cultural regeneration. Designed by Shenzhen Huahui Design, this bold transformation of the Huazhong Power Plant — decommissioned in 2006 — breathes new life into a once vital industrial relic, converting it into a community-oriented cultural landmark that bridges the past and the future.

Originally built during the rapid urbanization of the 1980s to resolve regional power shortages, the power plant is now a symbol of Shenzhen’s transition from industrial powerhouse to creative capital.

A Multidimensional Urban Interface

Strategically located at the intersection of city, community, and nature, the cultural center acts as a northern gateway to the district. The redesign envisions it not just as an architectural conversion, but as a catalyst for community engagement — an “urban living room” where art, performance, and daily life converge.

The design intent focused on:

• Retaining the spirit of the place
• Enhancing urban connectivity
• Facilitating cultural interactions through functional and spatial flexibility

Design Strategy: Retention, Soft Interventions & Activation

The 3,670-square-meter site is thoughtfully organized into dynamic and static zones:

• South Zone: An interactive recreational area with children’s facilities, sports, and leisure programming
• North Zone: A cultural zone for performing arts, exhibitions, and creative events

Instead of demolishing existing structures, the design team opted for a minimal-intervention strategy that enhances spatial openness while maintaining the integrity of the industrial typology. Five key industrial buildings were retained, softened with transparent glass enclosures, open staircases, and circulation-friendly "gray spaces."

O·POWER Center (#1): The Heart of the Transformation

Originally the generator hall, Building #1 has been reborn as the main cultural hub, with a circular glass insertion that gently surrounds preserved trees and creates fluid indoor-outdoor transitions. The southern façade was reconstructed with transparent glazing and metal grilles to allow natural light in and showcase the interiors to the public — turning the building into both a lantern of memory and a stage for modern creativity.

Key Additions:

• A UHPC (Ultra-High-Performance Concrete) cylindrical volume inspired by historic oil tanks
• The O SPACE: a multifunctional immersive gallery
• The POWER Theater: a black-box experimental performance space with flexible seating (200 seated / 400 standing)

Rooftop Reclamation & Industrial Poetics

The rooftop of the main building was once abandoned but now features a steel canopy around the preserved chimney, creating an atmospheric industrial viewing platform. This spatial gesture — merging memory with utility — blurs the boundaries between past use and future potential.

Cultural and Creative Backstreet (#4): A New Urban Edge

To address height differences between the original structure and the adjacent road, a zigzagging ramp connects the street level to the cultural center, encouraging meandering exploration. Enclosed by preserved trees and a sequence of cast-in-place concrete boxes, this redesigned "backstreet" becomes a buffer zone and a welcoming threshold between city and park.

Evolution of Remaining Structures: Adaptive Functionality

Theater Bar (#2)

Originally the oil pump house, this structure now functions as a public bar, retaining exposed industrial elements like crane beams while adding new glass brick façades that emphasize lightness and transparency.

Artist Studio (#3)

This former fire pump house now features angled window walls for controlled daylighting, providing both inspiration and privacy for creative work.

Brick Workshop (#5)

Once a circular water reservoir, it’s now a dynamic event space with a rusted steel exterior stair, reclaimed red ceramic bricks, and restored curved entry points — forming a cohesive sensory playground with adjacent buildings.

Design Philosophy: Empowering the Site through Spatial Storytelling

The entire project is an embodiment of spatial storytelling — from raw industrial memory to forward-looking artistic energy. It exemplifies how industrial heritage architecture can transition from a passive backdrop to an active cultural protagonist, contributing to urban revitalization, community integration, and civic identity.