International architecture firm behind Huafa Snow World offers first look at how upcoming 131-hectare entertainment destination will support region’s growth while celebrating nature.

In 2021, international architecture firm, 10 Design, part of Egis Group, leveraged its placemaking expertise to create the winning competition proposal for Huafa Snow World, a 131-hectare entertainment destination in Shenzhen, China. Construction for the retail and entertainment plot, Huafa Snow Centre, is currently underway and slated to open in 2025.

Anchored by an 80,000 square-meter indoor ski resort, the largest of its kind in the world, Huafa Snow World boasts a rich mix of retail, entertainment, commercial, hospitality, civic and cultural components, creating a vibrant destination.

Design Principal, Chin Yong Ng commented: “Our vision for the project is to deliver a fully immersive experience, servicing not only tourists, but also the local residents. The planning and design for this cultural epicentre reimagines retail development as a multi-faceted community experience, inviting discovery and encouraging guests to explore.”

The Huafa Snow Centre is the magnum opus of the cultural and entertainment hub, integrating state-of-the-art ski facilities with themed retail and a JW Marriott Hotel to provide a seamless experience for the visitors. 10 Design created an airy, undulating structure to house the grandiose 83-metre-high and 441-metre-long ski slope, with the supporting structure strategically exposed and translated into a unique visual element within the FUNMIX Zone below.

“As opposed to creating an imposing structure, we’ve broken down the scale of the building into series of floating boxes, interlinked with each other to invite a sense of exploration within the dynamic mix of experiential retail, entertainment, and office space in the FUNMIX zone,” shares Design Principal Lukasz Wawrzenczyk, “It will also serve as an intriguing gateway to the ski centre.”

A transformational retail street links the Snow Centre with the rest of the development via multi-level connections. Allowing for a variety of activities, events, and celebrations, it serves as a functional addition to the luxury hotel offering, which includes a spacious ballroom with panoramic views of the ski slope.

The theme of snow is utilized throughout the design. Ceramic boards and aluminium panels are employed to translate the texture of glaciers and ice crystals into a sleek and modern façade, and unified design language.

Designed to attract the new generation of consumers, Huafa Snow World taps into the ever-present basic need for connection and socialising, creating a community-fuelled, immersive destination that boasts themed retail spaces and interactive installations.