9th UABB subvenue opens in Qianhai

The 9th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB) Qianhai Subvenue opened at the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub Northern District yesterday afternoon.

A group photo at yesterday's opening ceremony of the 9th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB) Qianhai Subvenue. Photos by Chang Zhipeng

Sponsored by the Authority of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen and organized by the Qianhai Service Group, it is the first large-scale exhibition being held in Qianhai highlighting both academic and public values after the zone was expanded in 2021.

Exhibits from the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation section.

The exhibition takes “Oceanowledge City” as its theme and consists of two major sections, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation and Ocean Ecology. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation section invited three design institutes from Hong Kong along with nine groups of designers to showcase their design academic research and practical achievements in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while the Ocean Ecology section presents innovative efforts made by Qianhai, as well as some local and international cases, through the three topics of “Qianhai Actions,” “Green Carbon City,” and “By the Sea.”

Thomas Lee, president of The Hong Kong Institute of Planners, said he hopes more young people from Shenzhen and Hong Kong can participate in the exhibition for mutual exchange, which will also help them understand the things happening in the two cities in terms of basic necessities of life and distinctive designs.

Exhibits from the Ocean Ecology section.

Talking about the exhibition’s theme of “Oceanowledge City,” Lee said, “Both Shenzhen and Hong Kong have long coastlines. How to deal with the relationship between design space, urban space and the ocean is also a subject that we hope to explore through this exhibition.”

Zhang Yuxing, one of the initiators of the 9th UABB, said, “The exhibition is an important platform for the cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong designers, and provides a lot of opportunities for Hong Kong designers and artists to participate in the construction of Qianhai and the whole Greater Bay Area.”

At the opening ceremony, the Third Qianhai-Hong Kong Young Designer Competition was also officially launched to further promote the exchanges between young people from Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and provide opportunities for young professionals from Hong Kong to participate in the construction of the planning projects in the Greater Bay Area.

Unlike the previous sessions, this year’s competition has increased to three projects, namely, architecture, landscape, and art installations, each with their own first, second, and third prizes and excellence awards. The total amount of prize money is 1.05 million Hong Kong dollars. Participants can sign up for one or all three projects to compete for higher prize money.