One Excellence

One Excellence is the first major development in Qianhai, a vast new district in western Shenzhen that aspires to form an international business centre rivalling Wall Street or Canary Wharf. It comprises four office towers, retail space, and two serviced apartment buildings. For this pioneering district Farrells were tasked with developing bold architectural design that anticipates urban integration with future surrounding developments.

Inspired by adjacent Qianhai Bay, a nautical design influence flows throughout the scheme. The twin gateway towers share a canopy cast gracefully between the buildings, monumentally marking the eastern entrance. This gateway frames an east-west pedestrian axis upon which the scheme is structured. The towers celebrate the groundscape by incorporating, at the lower levels, a rhythmic frontage of small- and medium-sized retail spaces and restaurants offering alfresco dining.

The complex is also transit-oriented. Numerous railway lines converge on the district, and the multi-layer pedestrian axis allows commuters to complete the final leg of their journey in a pleasant, leisurely pedestrian-oriented environment where visitors can stroll, shop, dwell, play, and relax.