Shenzhen OCT-LOFT: A Creative Landmark Transformed from Old Factories

Shenzhen OCT-LOFT Creative Culture Park, located in the northeastern part of Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District, is an urban cultural landmark transformed from the “processing with supplied materials” old factories of the 1980s. Covering an area of about 150,000 square meters with a construction area exceeding 200,000 square meters, the park is divided into North and South Districts. Adhering to the “minimum intervention” principle, it preserves industrial relics, allowing weathered red bricks, giant steel frames to coexist with cutting-edge creativity, reconstructing Shenzhen’s cultural capital and urban memory.

As an open creative Park, it breaks physical boundaries. The design without fences or prominent signs allows visitors to integrate naturally. Creative graffiti on the walls, “poster pillars” transformed from factory iron pillars, especially the pixel-style “Shenzhen Wall” launched in 2024, embody the city’s creative attitude and become a popular check-in spot. The Park gathers nearly 300 cultural and creative institutions, including design studios, art galleries, characteristic bookstores and creative shops. The retro vinyl records at Old Heaven Books and original clothing at Chichaqu reflect a diverse creative business cluster.

Over the years, the park has created iconic events such as the T-Street Creative Market, OCT-LOFT Jazz Festival and Tomorrow Festival. The 17-year-old T-Street Market has supported the growth of numerous independent designers. From the first Shenzhen Urban\Architecture Biennale to various international art exhibitions, it has always maintained an open and inclusive ecosystem, enabling the accumulation of creative classes and the continuous appreciation of cultural capital, becoming Shenzhen’s “creative source” and “cultural destination”.