Across China, architecture is once again becoming a statement of intent. From historic garden cities to fast-rising financial districts, a new wave of landmark projects signals how the country is balancing memory, technology, public life and environmental responsibility. Many of these buildings are set to open between 2025 and 2026, and together they sketch the next chapter of Chinese urban ambition.
At the heart of this story is a shift away from isolated monuments toward buildings that behave like landscapes, parks, cultural commons and civic connectors. The following ten projects, designed by leading global studios, capture that momentum.
- Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, Suzhou
Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group
Completion: 2026
Set along the shores of Jinji Lake in Suzhou, this 60,000-square-metre museum unfolds as a series of 12 pavilions beneath a continuous roof inspired by traditional tiled eaves. Designed as a contemporary garden of courtyards and corridors, the museum reimagines the classical “lang” walkway. Curved glass façades reflect the water and sky, while skylit galleries create dynamic light patterns inside.
2. Hainan Science Museum, Haikou
Architect: MAD Architects
Opening: 2025
Located on the western coast of Hainan, this 46,000-square-metre museum features a biomorphic form that mimics rising warm air. Built with fiberglass-reinforced panels designed for the tropical climate, the museum prioritizes durability, drainage, and passive cooling. Surrounding sunken plazas, wetlands, and parks turn it into a science destination as well as a public landscape.
3. Quzhou Sports Park, Quzhou
Architect: MAD Architects
Designed as a “stadium buried in the earth,” this 30,000-seat sports complex in Quzhou is covered entirely with grassed roofs. The undulating structure disappears into artificial hills, while pedestrian paths weave across it. Concrete columns, wave-like entrances, and a vast steel canopy complete a facility that merges sport, leisure, and public green space.
- Grand Bayview Qianhai, Shenzhen
Architect: Foster + Partners
Completion: 2025
Rising in Shenzhen, the twin 180-metre towers feature a fan-shaped layout that maximizes daylight and privacy. Semi-public sky gardens connect the buildings, while elevated walkways extend into the surrounding urban fabric. Modular steel construction allows future reconfiguration, positioning the project as a flexible model for high-density professional living.
5. Shanghai Grand Opera House, Shanghai
Architect: Snøhetta
Completion: 2026
Designed as “a destination for everyone,” this major cultural landmark in Shanghai features a spiraling roof inspired by motion and dance. The opera house includes three performance halls seating 2,000, 1,200, and 1,000 people. The radial roof also doubles as a public staircase, transforming the building into a cultural promenade along the Huangpu River.
6. Pujiang Viewing Platform, Pujiang
Architect: MVRDV
Carved into a natural embankment, this earthen-and-timber structure appears as a subtle flare in the landscape. The interior slopes in opposite directions to create tiered seating with panoramic views through a 115-square-metre glass wall. Passive cooling, thermal mass, and natural ventilation make it a low-carbon model for scenic public architecture.
7. China Science Academy Tech Campus, Songjiang (Shanghai)
Architect: PEI Architects
Completion: 2026
This research campus moves away from rigid laboratory blocks toward a park-centred scientific environment. Incubation buildings are arranged around a central green spine with reflecting pools and an open-air amphitheatre. Fractal façade patterns, reflective glass, and multiple terraces connect scientific workspaces with the surrounding landscape.
- Guangzhou International Cultural Center, Guangzhou
Architect: FGP Atelier
Rising 320 metres in Guangzhou, this tower blends office functions with culture and public space. A multi-level bookstore, public plaza, subway links, sky lobby, and sky club are stacked within its stepped form. Terraced volumes soften the building’s mass while offering city views at multiple heights.
9. Qianhai International Financial Exchange Center, Shenzhen
Architect: OMA
This waterfront financial and hospitality complex is composed of three stacked volumes: a terraced conference centre facing the bay, a hotel podium with public programs, and a 400-room polygonal hotel tower at the top. Sail-like façades respond to the coastal edge, while a large urban atrium anchors public life inside the building.
10. Greenland Group Suzhou Center, Wujiang (Suzhou)
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Completion: 2026
Covering 284,000 square metres, this mixed-use skyline marker combines offices, a hotel, and serviced apartments around a dramatic 30-storey atrium that functions as a natural ventilation “lung.” Aerodynamic modelling shaped its curved façades to reduce wind load and improve airflow. High-performance glazing, daylight harvesting, and energy recovery systems anchor its sustainability strategy.
Why These Buildings Matter
Together, these ten projects mark a shift in Chinese architecture from isolated megastructures to interconnected civic landscapes. Museums behave like gardens, stadiums become public parks, and office towers double as cultural platforms. With sustainability, climate response, and urban accessibility at their core, these buildings reflect how China’s cities are preparing for the next phase of growth.
