- Project: Longcheer Yacht Club
- Architect: SAOTA
- Location: China, Dapeng Peninsula, Shenzhen
- Year: 2022
- Area: 16000 m2
- Photography: Yu Bai
Set between Daya Bay and the Yashan mountain range on the picturesque Dapeng Peninsula in Shenzhen, the Longcheer Yacht Club by SAOTA is a bold architectural intervention that bridges nature, culture, and marine sport. Designed by the renowned South African architecture studio SAOTA, this mixed-use complex combines a flagship yacht club with luxury hotel amenities—while serving as a cultural catalyst for China’s fast-growing yachting scene.
Connecting Landscape and Architecture
Located on a narrow coastal site bordered by existing jetties, the club offers panoramic views of Daya Bay and the Daya Islands, providing a front-row seat to events like the China Cup International Regatta. The building’s form mimics the terrain—zigzagging along the coastline in response to site constraints and optimizing ocean views.
Municipal regulations required the building to maintain a low, horizontal profile to preserve ocean vistas from the scenic road behind the site. As a result, the architecture emphasizes linear horizontality, merging visually with the bay while maintaining a distinctive presence.
“The design mediates between mountain and ocean,” notes SAOTA, “creating a continuous dialogue with the landscape.”
Inspired by Lanterns, Rooted in Tradition
The façade is inspired by traditional Chinese lanterns, reinterpreted as modular light boxes to create a pattern of transparency and illumination. These elements glow beautifully at night when viewed from the bay. A copper-colored ribbon element weaves across the elevation, unifying the building while marking vertical circulation zones and enhancing spatial rhythm.
Four sculptural rooftop pavilions crown the building. Designed for meetings, receptions, and entertainment, these folded roof structures evoke both the angularity of the ribbon and the lightweight expressiveness of traditional Chinese pavilions. Their bold overhangs provide sheltered outdoor areas, extending the use of space across vertical levels.
Public Integration and Circulation Strategy
A key feature of the design is its efficient vertical servicing system: deliveries and building services are managed via four main cores rising from the lower level, keeping the premium upper floors uncluttered and visually open to the bay. Skylights and light scoops introduce daylight into the lower floors, reducing energy use and enhancing user experience.
Public accessibility is another defining element. SAOTA included two landscaped promenades:
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One above the hotel, offering a public viewing deck for yachting events
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One at the water’s edge, integrated into a continuous coastal walkway that will eventually connect to neighboring properties
The terraced landscape design draws inspiration from the rice paddies of Yunnan, using soft curves, flowing forms, and stepped greenery to contrast the geometric language of the architecture. Rooftop gardens extend the mountain vegetation into the built form, blurring boundaries between nature and construction.
Creating a Regional Destination
The Longcheer Yacht Club is more than just a luxury facility. It is designed as a civic landmark, offering cultural, recreational, and environmental value to Shenzhen’s waterfront. By contributing to public space, enhancing marine visibility, and promoting leisure architecture, SAOTA delivers a project that is both iconic and inclusive.
Located along one of the eight most beautiful coasts of China, the project establishes itself as a benchmark in marina architecture—integrating sustainability, elegance, and heritage in a single comprehensive vision.
