Type: Renovation, Mixed Use
Developer: Shenzhen Vanke Development Co. Ltd.
Owner: 300 individual villagers
Planning and Design Management Consultants: Vanke Urban Research, vaLue
Designers: MVRDV, URBANUS, Neri & Hu, VTN Architects, Atelier FC JZ, Tao, NODE Architecture & Urbanism, BWA, vaLue, fabersociety, FCHA, 11architecture, CM Design, HHDesign, INCLS, TAG, cnS, Return, Filed, INPLUS Design, Nanyue Gujian
Consultant: reLifestyling Real Estate Consultancy (Shanghai) Ltd.
Site Size: 12.1 acres (4.9 ha)
Date Opened: August 23, 2020
Date Completed: September 30, 2021
Buildings: 237,882 square feet (22,100 sq m)
Parking Spaces: 132
Open Space: 50,913 square feet (4,730 sq m)
Shenzhen’s Nantou Ancient City project represents a groundbreaking approach to revitalizing China’s historic urban villages in a way that preserves their cultural heritage and community fabric. After China’s government designated Shenzhen as a Special Economic Zone in 1980, the city’s more than 400 urban villages grew rapidly to provide informal housing for an influx of migrant workers. The result: high-density residential areas that maximized rental income but often compromised on fire safety and hygiene standards.
In 2018, the government launched a pilot project at Nantou Ancient City and established a joint venture involving the government, the village committee, and a private sector partner. The goal was to draw on private investment to address the negative effects of rapid urbanization. The first phase, completed in 2021, focused on refurbishing approximately 300 of 992 buildings. Rather than pursuing wholesale redevelopment, the joint venture adopted an incremental approach that revitalized 25 percent of key areas, which in turn sparked community engagement and motivated local landlords to make improvements on their own.
In renovating office, retail, restaurant, and entertainment space, as well as hotel rooms and apartments, the joint venture engaged more than 20 architects to ensure the look and feel of the refurbished structures would be cohesive, albeit varied. This approach maintained architectural uniformity while respecting the site’s historical context.
“Nantou Ancient City retains limited historical remnants, but the most critical elements we prioritized included the Ming Dynasty street network,” says Deng Jinghui, associate architect at Vanke Urban Research. “This spatial legacy, dating to the Ming Dynasy, forms the core of the ancient city’s urban fabric. Our design fully respected and protected this 600-year-old layout. Minor adjustments were made only to improve accessibility.”
Also important was honoring what Deng describes as the “architectural stratigraphy” of the area. “The existing buildings reflect layered historical phases: [the] late Qing Dynasty, [the] Republic of China, [the] post-1949 socialist era, and the rapid urban village expansions. Each period left distinct material and stylistic imprints.”
This careful attention to historical authenticity influenced the restoration approach. “We used period-specific materials and craftsmanship to restore each building to its original historical context,” Deng says. “By preserving this diversity, the project embodies the concept of ‘representing time through space’—where spatial forms narrate the city’s chronological evolution.”
Environmentally sustainable strategies are woven throughout Nantou Ancient City. The joint venture reconstructed only five percent of the site’s buildings—those that had become dilapidated. Enhancing spatial quality took priority over maximizing rental areas. Strategically purchasing and clearing select properties to create pocket gardens provided much-needed green space in the densely packed urban setting. The design team also implemented external circulation for buildings to allow for better daylight penetration and introduced a bamboo roof garden to improve thermal insulation.
One of the most unusual aspects of the Nantou project is its joint venture structure involving the government, the village committee, and private sector partners. According to He Minghao, deputy project manager for Shenzhen Vanke Development Co., the biggest challenge was establishing a shared vision from the outset. “Prior to forming the joint venture, all stakeholders aligned on goals through intensive workshops mediated by the government as the neutral coordinator,” He says. “The government defined each stakeholder’s capacities and liabilities.”
He notes that the ongoing challenge for the joint venture operator is sustaining dual objectives: commercial viability, in the form of rental yields and operational efficiency, and cultural stewardship, in the form of preservation of cultural heritage and community identity. “Success,” He adds, “hinges on transparent benefit-sharing mechanisms and metrics that value both economic and cultural ROI [return on investment].”
The joint venture’s long-lease strategy avoided lengthy property acquisition processes. The project has increased property values, rental rates, job opportunities with competitive salaries, and tax revenue.
The project also added creative industry professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, and performers to the existing mix of residents. Ongoing programs help build community by creating opportunities for all residents to interact. For example, the project pairs volunteer designers with local businesses and supports stay-at-home parents in pursuing entrepreneurial ventures.
The first phase focused on revitalizing the main streets and some alleyways in the Xiji area of Nantou, which comprises about 30 percent of the entire district. The project is now moving into its second phase with a more targeted approach. According to Deng Jinghui, the next phase encompasses the revitalization of 90 residential buildings, landscape upgrades to secondary streets and alleys, construction of a cultural exhibition hall, and artistic interventions that will be integrated into public spaces. “Phase 1 focused on main streets, emphasizing historical narratives and urban ambition—the ‘city’ dimension,” Deng says. “Phase 2 shifts to secondary streets and alleys, targeting the ‘village’ dimension through context-sensitive materials and techniques tailored to urban villages’ common challenges.” Artistic interventions include hand-painted murals and site-specific art installations to enhance cultural identity.
Thousands of developers and government officials across China have visited to try to understand and replicate its approach. “Nantou Ancient City serves as a microcosm of Shenzhen’s urban village complexities, demonstrating how to address historical legacies through context-sensitive solutions,” He Minghao says. “While each case is unique, its success has inspired policymakers and developers to explore alternative pathways for adaptive reuse of existing properties. Nantou’s legacy lies in proving that heritage-led regeneration can coexist with economic viability, reshaping how stakeholders perceive ‘value’ in urban renewal.”
Nantou Ancient City offers a replicable approach to prioritizing community preservation while achieving significant economic and social improvements. Its success suggests a promising path forward for similar villages across China and beyond.
