Shenzhen Cloud of Innovation Center (CIC) designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with Shenzhen AUBE Architectural Engineering Design has been recognised as Best Future Architecture at the 2026 CVU China Awards, celebrating the project’s contribution to urban renewal and its redefinition of the supertall building within Shenzhen’s evolving city fabric. The project will now compete for the single highest award in its category at the 2026 Vertical Urbanism China Summit.
Rising to 380 metres, Shenzhen Cloud of Innovation Center – often referred to as the “Crown of Luohu” – is located in the heart of Shenzhen’s Luohu CBD, at the intersection of the Dawutong New Industry Belt and the Hongling Financial Innovation Corridor – an urban seam centra to Luohu’s regeneration and future positioning within the Greater Bay Area.
“Luohu has a deep urban history, but it also carries enormous future ambition,” said Director Pearl Huang. “CIC was conceived as a way to help Luohu regain its energy and relevance – not with a single supertall tower, but through a connected urban experience.”
The project integrates offices, retail, residential, education and community spaces into a coherent mixed-use composition. The supertall tower anchors a broader arrangement of four towers, carefully positioned to maximise open space, views and environmental quality, while reinforcing Luohu’s skyline identity as an emerging financial and innovation hub.
Connectivity sits at the core of the design. An integrated retail podium employs a U-shaped circulation strategy, linking towers, aligning footfall and transforming density into a continuous public experience. Retail, leisure and wellbeing programs are woven into a civic centre that serves both daily users and the wider city.
“The success of this project lies in how different pieces work together,” said Huang. “From the curved elevation of the tower to the retail circulation and public spaces, every move was about complementarity – between buildings, between uses, and between commercial value and long-term urban life.”
Recognised for its forward‑looking approach to mixed‑use density, strong civic identity and people‑centred supertall design, Shenzhen Cloud of Innovation Center represents a future‑ready model for high‑density urban development in China.
“This is a shared achievement,” Huang said. “As construction continues to progress, the project stands as a reflection of our client’s trust, cross‑studio collaboration, and a collective belief that tall buildings can—and should—do more for the cities they belong to.”
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