人民公园东入口改造设计East Entrance Renovation, Shenzhen People’s Park

The east entrance is an important part of the wider upgrade to People’s Park, addressing both pedestrian circulation and the park’s civic identity. The densely wooded site faces the street to the east and the park’s East Square to the west, with a 5.8-metre level difference between them. The renovation reorganises pedestrian routes by turning the outdoor staircase towards the north, away from the new public toilet to the south, to avoid conflicting flows. Escalators sit beneath the stair structure, sheltered from rain, wind and falling leaves. An accessible lift occupies the southern corner, with a generous waiting area at its lower level.

As People’s Park is known for its roses, petal curves define the building’s outline and the square’s paving. Their flexibility allows the design to work around protected mature trees. To the north, the roof gradually descends with the steps and merges into a planted slope. Carefully selected flowers spread from the grass onto the roof, wrapping the staircase in a small garden. To the south, the planted roof rises as though the ground has been lifted, creating a cave-like space beside East Square. Beyond protecting the escalators from leaves, it provides a freely accessible, semi-outdoor place sheltered from strong sun and rain. Descending the escalator, the view gradually opens to reveal the square’s large banyan tree and then the lake. Ascending it, the view narrows towards treetops and distant clouds framed by the opening.

Digital information modelling helped us balance architectural expression with economy. An irregular steel structure uses two inclined rectangular-section steel arches to support a 30-metre column-free span. The arched beams, lift shaft and steel-truss retaining wall support one another as the principal spatial structure. Closely spaced brackets fix curved stainless-steel panels to it, with planting troughs on the exterior walls and roof. A continuous light-grey cementitious decorative finish across floor, walls and ceiling blurs the familiar distinction between horizontal and vertical. This restrained material palette sets off the complex topological geometry, abstractly recalling a landscape shaped from the ground. At night, translucent white acrylic around the escalators becomes a softly glowing lightbox. Together with nebula-like perforated wall lights, it creates a futuristic setting.