A FORMER beer factory site in Luohu District will be rebuilt into an art zone, slated to open to the public in the first half of 2022, according to Southern Metropolis Daily.

The art zone’s location used to be a Kingway beer factory and is said to be the city’s first urban industrial site renewal program that demolishes old factory structures while retaining historical buildings to keep the city’s memories.

The project will also become the major venue for next year’s Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism Architecture (UABB) to showcase the area’s history, culture and industrial heritage, said the report.

Guangdong Holdings Limited signed an agreement with Luohu District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau on Tuesday. The company will be responsible for the beer factory art zone’s operation and management.

The project will preserve the beer factory’s landmark main building, and in the future, the area will become a venue for various cultural activities.

“As the city’s first industrial heritage as well as an epitome of Shenzhen’s development, the beer factory witnessed the older generation’s glory days. The renovation includes new business elements and combines cultural, exhibition and digital industries’ resources. Innovative designs will also be added to make it a place for tourism, cultural innovation and entertainment,” said a superintendent of the project.

The zone also aims to be a key historical site in Luohu and Shenzhen, according to the report.  (Wang Jingli)