Coastal demonstration zone opens in Shenzhen, China

A strip of typhoon damaged coastline in East Dike, Shenzhen has been restored and reopened as a demonstration zone.

At the beginning of May the zone opened to the public after the coast was damaged by typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. Last year KCAP+FELIXX were selected to develop the plans to restore the coastline and raise protection standards.

The coastal demonstration strip was opened in May 2020. Image credit - © KCAP & Felixx.

East Dike is on Shenzhen's Eastern coastline in China and a 130 kilometre coastline of Dapeng, a green peninsula in the bay between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

The team developed ‘Triple Dike strategy’ which is an integrated approach towards the climate adaptive reorganisation of the shore. In the concept, water safety strategies are connected to eco-development and nature restoration and merged with social and economic growth.

On a 500m long strip in Yangmeikeng, the performance of the proposed nature-based strategies for the sea wall are tested and materialisation principles are explored and refined.

The realisation of this demonstration zone is the first milestone in the construction of 18 kilometres of embankment to be completed by 2021.

Last year KCAP+FELIXX were selected to develop the plans to restore the coastline and raise protection standards. Image credit - © KCAP & Felixx.

For six villages along the shore, all originating from fishers’ communities, the strategy is turned into strategic design projects, creating unique and site-specific realms.

The ‘Triple Dike’ is composed of three development zones, carefully embedded in the local conditions and responding to the specific future needs of every village. The small-scale identity will be protected and their different characteristics reinforced.

The coast was damaged by typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. Image credit - © KCAP & Felixx.

Dongshan Village is one of the six and sits in a quiet bay, where the embankment is planned to become a green park, merging the mountains and the sea.

Guanhu is a creative and cultural district where the dike will be a vivid green beach boulevard, a backbone which will unite existing functions with new recreational facilities.

Moonbay is built on a mountainside, overlooking the sea. There the embankment acts as a balcony, overlooking the bay, connecting the village to the floating fishing restaurants.

Shayuyong is a gateway port, designed as a robust and rocky embankment park and Pengcheng with its beautiful beaches is an important tourist attraction. There the reinforcement of the coast is turned into an attractive beachpark.

Finally, Yangmeikeng is an exposed village along the coast, within an ecological and marine protection zone is the demonstration zone.

Here the three protective zones of the ‘Triple Dike’ strengthen its exposed character, turning the village into a contemporary fortress. The design supports the organic village life.

East Dike Shenzhen is already getting international recognition. It is shortlisted for the World Landscape Architecture (WLA) Awards 2020, nominated as laureate in the Eurasian Prize 2019-2020, currently exhibited in Roca Gallery London’s exhibition 'Sea Change: Flood Resilient Architecture for the 21st Century' and has been selected for the ‘Water as Leverage’ exhibition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) 2020.

East Dike is on Shenzhen's Eastern coastline in China and a 130 kilometre coastline of Dapeng, a green peninsula in the bay between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Image credit - © KCAP & Felixx.