Maggie Tang

    litang_sz@163.com

    AECOM, a premier, fully integrated global infrastructure firm, celebrated the move of the Shenzhen office into a refurbished industrial building in Shekou on Friday.

    An opening ceremony was held with major business partners and local authorities attending. The new building was designed by AECOM, who turned an old industrial building into a state- of-the-art office, an exemplary renewal project amidst the changing economy of the original industrial district.

    “People should be placed at the center of urban development and renewal,” said Sean Chiao, president of AECOM Asia Pacific. “We are extremely pleased to have been involved with a number of people-centric projects that contribute to delivering a better world. Moving into a new home where importance is placed on community development is emotionally exciting and intellectually fulfilling.”

    The new AECOM office is situated at Sail Plaza, which was previously an industrial building. AECOM’s design team worked to create a low-profile solution that retained some of the original features, such as the rectangular structure and the atrium.

    As part of China’s Economic Development Focus Policy, Shekou was identified as an industrial center in the early 1980s and attracted significant manufacturing investment.

    In response to the city of Shenzhen’s maturation and changing economy, the city put together a strategy to renew Shekou from the industrial model of economic development into a modern benchmark for community development.

    “Building structures are physical carriers of a city’s history,” said Ian Chung, AECOM senior vice president and regional executive, China. “We have completed a variety of city renewal projects in China with this ethos in mind. We will take this philosophy forward to ensure the development of a city stays connected with its history and in doing so continue to make this world a better place.”

    A Fortune 500 firm, AECOM designs, builds, finances and operates infrastructure assets for governments, businesses and organizations in more than 150 countries. Since 1993, it has designed or provided design and consulting services for many landmark buildings in Shenzhen.