在经历了高速而粗放式的“城市化”发展之后，深圳正进入到精细更新式的“都市化”发展时代。现有的资源集中、类型单一的孤岛式文化娱乐设施已难以满足当代深圳人对城市文化生活的需求，而由若干嵌入式的“文化生活锚点”所组成的网络，正成为新的城市文化建设目标。新一批的公共文化建筑趋向于更加融入城市肌理和日常生活。相应而生的，应是一种在社会角色和建筑类型上都不同于以往的新的文化建筑的类型。

After experiencing the rapid and extensive “urbanization” development, Shenzhen is entering the era of refined “metropolitanization” development. The existing isolated island-style cultural and recreational facilities lack of variance and contact with each other, which does not meet the needs of contemporary Shenzhener for cultural urban life. A network of several embedded and diverse cultural life nodes is becoming a new direction for the city’s cultural construction. As a result, a new type of urban public building that is different from the traditional social roles and building types has been generated.

传统的文体中心中，各类功能空间往往相对独立封闭以避免使用上相互干扰，这就使得整座建筑成为纯功能性场所而非积极的社会交往空间； 而围绕在建筑周边看似零散的城市开放空间因提供了不同人群之间互动的多种可能性，反而成为这些文化场所真正活力的来源。 在粤海文体中心的设计过程中，在保证各类场馆功能独立运营的基础上，建筑师尽可能多地提供城市开放空间，以促进各馆使用者之间的互动。 建筑本身因占地面积受限而不可避免地走向立体化。

Traditional Sport and Cultural center tend to keep various functions separate from each other to avoid interference. The result is often that each space is relatively independent and secluded, and the whole building becomes purely functional rather than interactional. Yet the fragmented urban open space, scattered around the structure, as it provides multiple possibilities for interaction between different groups of people, has become a source of true vitality for these sites. On the basis of ensuring the independent operation of all the indoor facilities, URBANUS try to provide as much public open spaces as possible within the new cultural and sports center to promote interaction between different clusters of people. The new Sports and Cultural Center is inevitably going to be three-dimensional due to the limited site area.

因此，都市实践尝试突破城市开放空间仅限于地面广场的概念，将其抬升至空中并与建筑体量在垂直方向上进行叠加，由此形成若干相互连通的空中公共活动平台，在建筑的不同高度上都能提供良好的与城市互动的体验。 在此基础上进一步打破水平各层之间的 空间界限 ，置入灵活使用且更具公共性的新功能，使平台层成为激发都市活力的空中城市客厅。 一个立体化的文体建筑类型由此产生。

Therefore, the architects try to break through the concept that “the open public space within a city was only limited to the ground plaza” by lifting the public spaces and superimpose it in the vertical direction within the structure, so that series of interconnected aerial public platforms have been created at different heights within the building, which also incorporate interaction with the city. On this basis, the spatial boundaries are dematerialized between the horizontal layers, new flexible and public functions are inserted, which makes the platform layer become an elevated urban living room that intrigues urban vitality. A new building type of three-dimensional public space has been generated.

在处理建筑与场地的关系时，都市实践在用地局促的情况下，选择将一至四层的建筑体量在面向十字路口的街角处退让，形成一个上有遮蔽的小广场，周边学校及商业的来往人流都可以在此汇聚，营造出一个积极的街区公共空间。咖啡厅、剧院入口及社区公共性最强的服务类功能被设置在可达性最强的地面层，并向负一层及二层延伸。向北侧和西侧打开的首层建筑界面进一步促进了与城市广场的互动。

To harmonize with the surroundings, under the limited land use condition, the architects chose to chamfer the corner to create more public gathering space for the neighborhood by recessing the first to fourth floors of the building to form a small plaza which receives shadow cast by the structure. The plaza now becomes a public gathering space for different groups of people from the surrounding schools and commercials, and also serves as the entrance to the cultural facilities of the Yuehai Cultural and Sports Center. The architects placed coffee shops, theater entrance and community services at the most accessible area which starts from the ground floor and extended to basement level as well as the 2nd floor. For the purpose of promoting the interaction with the public square, the ground floor has been opened towards the north-west side.

主要功能空间的分布综合考虑了空间使用效率、结构合理性及对环境的影响等各方面因素。 图书馆被设置在最靠近地面的体量中，给予其最佳可达性，同时其规律的柱网作为上方的大跨度空间桁架的支撑，保证了结构上的合理性。 游泳馆置于建筑体中部，其下方半开放休息区成为空中城市客厅。 空中泳池不但拥有极佳的城市视野，其自身突出的体量也成为城市景观的一部分。 最具活力的体育场馆被放置在建筑的最高处，以最大限度减少对周围环境的噪声干扰，其下方的空中体育花园可作为居民热身和户外锻炼的场地。

In terms of functional allocation, considerations such as the efficiency of space use, the rationality of structure and environmental impacts have been fully concerned. The library locates in the ground floor, which created the best accessibility and its regular column network as the support of the large-span space truss above ensures the rationality of the structure. The swimming pool is raised to the middle of the volume, and the semi-open platform layer right below the swimming pool serves as an outdoor waiting area. The pool not only has a panoramic view of the city but also becomes part of the city’s landscape. The sport programs are placed at the highest point of the volume to minimize noise disturbance to the surrounding environment, and the sky sports garden below it can serve as a plaza for residents to warm up and exercise outdoors.

3个功能体量以及位于不同高度上的城市公共空间，并非同质化地均匀分布，而是拥有各自不同的功能属性和场所氛围。“社区生活广场”最为公共开放，是前往社区服务、图书馆、运动场馆的各类人群汇集的场所；“城市空中客厅”是文化类功能和体育类功能的 转换层 ，室外网球场与24小时图书借阅处都位于此处；“空中体育花园”则提供室外健身场所，视野最为开阔，环境最为安静放松。3个城市平台之间由公共大扶梯串联，共同构成了一个立体的24小时开放的街区公园。

Instead of distributed homogeneously, the three urban public spaces located at different levels have different functional attributes and atmosphere. “Community Life Plaza” is the most public space, serves as a main interacting point for people who come to community service, library and sports venues. “Elevated City Living Room” is a buffer zone in between the cultural and sport facilities, the Outdoor Tennis Court and 24 Hour Library are also allocated in this area. The “Sky Sports Garden” offers an outdoor fitness facility with an undisturbed, panoramic view with the most relaxing environment. The three urban platforms are interconnected by public escalators, which together form a three-dimensional 24-hour block park.