Grand Bayview Qianhai – A Response to Urban Loneliness for Working Professionals

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24 September 2025

Grand Bayview Qianhai, a two tower apartment building in Shenzhen, China, is an example of a new building typology that specifically targets isolated city dwellers.

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Designed by Foster + Partners, Grand Bayview Qianhai is a new community-driven residence, whose layout is informed by the need for privacy alongside social connection. 

The complex is intended as a “building exclusively for talents”, i.e. professionals who have an intensive work-centred lifestyle, living away from their families. The layout aims to allow for a sense of community in a relaxed environment. 

This is achieved by the two connected towers arranged in a fan shape to optimise views and daylight, maximise privacy on the outer radius, and provide focused communal areas at the centre of the scheme. 

The first tenants have now moved into the 180 metre apartment towers, which are linked by a large semi-public garden that connects with adjacent greenbelts. Green terraces on each floor provide shared communal spaces, bridging the gap between solitude and community.

The towers’ sky gardens are another shared outdoor space for residents. They offer views of the surrounding area and facilitate activities such as exercise classes, dining experiences and social occasions.

Luke Fox, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “Our design responds to the unique needs of the tenants, by carefully balancing privacy and exclusivity with a sense of community in a relaxed environment. The towers deliver shared terraces on every floor and offer spectacular views, while providing natural ventilation and controlled daylight. Lush greenery flows across the ground plane and through both towers – allowing occupants to reconnect with nature and find balance at the end of the working day.” 

Picture: an image from the corner of one of the towers showing the green balconies on each floor. Image Credit: Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 24 September 2025

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