The 2026 Shenzhen Design Week and the Global Design Award "Kunpeng Award" opened on April 27 at the Longgang International Art Center. This newly unveiled cultural landmark embodies the city's "technology plus art" vision.
Longgang International Art Center, a newly emerging cultural landmark in Shenzhen.
The center boasts a total floor area of 110,000 square meters and is recognized as a benchmark for smart cultural venues in the Greater Bay Area. It features a 1,500-seat opera house, a 554-seat theater and a 305-seat concert hall, all equipped with 5G-enabled immersive technologies. In addition, the venue includes the 17,000-square-meter D+ Digital Art Gallery, which comprises five signature spaces that offer LED giant screens, holographic imaging and real-time interactive experiences.
The audience is enjoying the integrated performance in the holographic space.
Powered by HarmonyOS, the center — China's first "Harmony Theater" — features augmented reality navigation, virtual reality seat selection and 8K live streaming capabilities. Its design integrates indoor and outdoor spaces, anchored by a 5,000-square-meter "urban living room" that connects to a neighboring park.
The center itself serves as the most compelling exhibit of the design week. At its entrance, a permanent art relief combining Eastern and Western music history welcomes visitors. With its boundary-free public spaces, the center exemplifies Shenzhen's commitment to incorporating design into everyday urban life.
The artistic relief wall depicts the historical trajectory of music from both Eastern and Western cultures.
The Kunpeng Award received over 6,200 entries from 20 countries and regions this year, with AI technologies now forming a mature backbone of many submissions. During the ceremony, a strategic partnership with the London Design Festival was signed, underlining Shenzhen's global design ambitions. The event runs through early May.
