Urbanus: Nanshan Marriage Registration Center

'nanshan marriage registration center' by urbanus in shenzhen, china
all images courtesy urbanus
images by mengyan, wu qiwei

chinese architecture practice urbanus has sent us images of 'nanshan marriage registration center',
a multi-storey facility in the northeastern corner of lijing park in nanshan district, shenzhen, china. 
seeking to provide a new identity for government buildings and institutes within the realm of
built architecture, the design incorporates a reflecting pool and pavilion in the approach to secure 
a sense of public space to the registration facility. 

overall view

surrounded by a dense collection of tall deciduous trees, the cylindrical building comfortably inserts itself
into the park in a way that respects and maintains the lushness of the site. the reflecting pool to the south
creates a calm and fragile surface to the grounds, serving as an inviting meeting point for the public.
a series of ramps and floating pathways dissect the water, allowing visitors to move through and experience 
the pool. a simple pavilion structure oriented towards the center frame the approach like a small gateway. 


approach

outfitted with a shimmering floral mesh aluminum skin, the center exhibits a level of transparency from
the exterior. the interior gains from natural daylighting through floor-to-ceiling glass and is further 
maximized by the curved nature of the walls. focusing on the movement and circulation of the building, 
the layout revolves around a spiral pathway that connects facets of the registry in a sequential manner. 
areas give way to smaller rooms and private space in a fluid gesture, forming curvilinear partitions that
organically define the layout. 


floating pathway across pool




entrance


view of reflecting pool 


towards pavilion


pavilion as a meeting point


view of center from pavilion


ramp

view of ramp from above

interior view


filtered sunlight

glazed wall and aluminum mesh skin




waiting area in use




marriage certificate room


(left) spiral staircase
(right) ceiling

small room


circulation space


night view


physical model

interior


circulation diagram
(1) pavilion
(2) pathway
(3) reception
(4) stairs
(5) waiting area
(6) marriage certificate room
(7) ramp


site map

site plan


floor plan / level 0


floor plan / level +1


floor plan / level +2


section


section

project info:

client: construction bureau of nanshan district
site area: 3002.5 m2
floor area: 977.5 m2
structure: steel 

design director: meng yan
project director: zhu jialin, wu wenyi, zhang zhen, fu zhuoheng, wei zhijiao
architecture designers: wang jun, yin yujun, hu zhigao, li qiang, zhang xinfeng
landscape designers: liao zhixiong, lin ting, yu xiaolan, liu jie

interior design: guoqun studio
curtain wall design: henzhen keyuan construction group co., ltd
structure / MEP: guangzhou RBS architecture engineer design associates
general contractor: shenzhen decoration and construction industrial co., ltd,
guangdong 8th construction group co., ltd