Design Society设计互联
Fumihiko Maki's terraces on the Sea World waterfront; big design shows and a free roof.
Inside Sea World Culture & Arts Center · In Sea World
Fumihiko Maki's waterfront arts centre in Shekou: big ticketed shows, free building
Design Society is the programming body inside the Sea World Culture and Arts Center (海上世界文化艺术中心), the long, stacked building facing the bay at the end of Wanghai Road in Shekou. It was designed by Pritzker winner Fumihiko Maki, his firm's first project in China, and opened in December 2017. China Merchants built it as the cultural anchor of the Sea World district, and the two names are used almost interchangeably by locals and ticket sites.
The building itself is free to walk into and stays open until 22:00. Inside are several galleries of different sizes (Main Gallery, the V&A Gallery, the Coastal Gallery and Park View Gallery), a theatre, a hall with bay views and shops and cafés. Exhibitions rotate constantly and are priced individually: recent years have brought a Banksy print show and solo shows by Chinese artists such as Zhang Peili and Shen Yuan.
It is one of the city's main venues for design and contemporary art, and it was the opening hub of Art Week Shenzhen in March 2026. Since 30 September 2026 it has also run the new Prince Bay Art Center next door, reached by a covered walkway, so you can pair the two on one afternoon.
What to see and do
The Maki building
A podium of galleries topped by three cantilevered volumes holding the theatre, a restaurant and a multipurpose hall. Walk the outside as well as the inside: the terraces look straight over Shekou's waterfront.
The V&A Gallery
Opened in 2017 as the Victoria and Albert Museum's first gallery in China, around 850 square metres, with the V&A's 'Values of Design' show. The V&A's original contract ran to 2019; the gallery name is still used for one of the halls.
Rotating headline shows
Large ticketed exhibitions in the main halls, from 2025's Banksy show (about 110 works in the L1 Coastal Gallery) to the Art Week 2026 solo shows.
Jingshan Theatre and Vision Hall
A 328-seat theatre and an 800-square-metre hall used for talks, performances and launches, so check the events listing as well as the exhibitions.
Prince Bay Art Center next door
SWCAC's second venue opened in September 2026 a short covered walk away, with its own programme.
Visiting
- Address
- 1187 Wanghai Road, Shekou, Nanshan (南山区蛇口望海路1187号)
- Hours
- Building daily 10:00–22:00. Galleries Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 10:00–21:00; last entry 30 min before closing (official site, Bendibao 2025)
- Tickets
- Building free, no booking. Exhibitions priced per show, e.g. Banksy: ¥108 single, ¥178 for two (2025); some shows free
- Booking
- booking.designsociety.cn or the centre's WeChat account; SWCAC members got free entry to the 2025 Banksy show
- Getting there
- Metro Line 2 (through-running with Line 8) or Line 12 to Sea World (海上世界), Exit A, then a short walk past Sea World plaza
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours per exhibition; half a day with Prince Bay Art Center and the waterfront
- Weekday afternoons are the quietest; galleries stay open until 21:00 at weekends, which suits a show followed by dinner in Sea World.
- Check what's on before you go: each exhibition has its own ticket and price, and some are free.
- Even with nothing on, the building is worth a walk: it's free, and the outside terraces face the bay.
- Combine with the new Prince Bay Art Center (closed Mondays) and a walk along the Prince Bay promenade.
- Phone: 0755 2667 1187, email info@designsociety.cn.
FAQ
Is Design Society the same as the Sea World Culture and Arts Center?
Yes, in practice. The building is the Sea World Culture and Arts Center (SWCAC); Design Society is the name of the cultural platform that programmes it, and both names appear on tickets and signs.
Is the Sea World Culture and Arts Center free?
Entry to the building is free with no booking. Most major exhibitions charge separately; the 2025 Banksy show was ¥108.
Which metro exit for the Sea World Culture and Arts Center?
Sea World station, Exit A, on Line 2 (Line 8 trains run through) or Line 12.
Is the V&A still at Design Society?
The V&A opened a gallery here in 2017 under a contract that ran to 2019. A hall is still called the V&A Gallery, but don't assume a V&A show is on; check the current programme.
Sources: Design Society official site: SWCAC visitor information (address, hours, history) · Eye Shenzhen: Sea World Culture and Arts Center (May 2023; galleries, hours, Exit A) · Shenzhen Bendibao: Banksy exhibition at SWCAC, tickets and hours (Sep 2025) · Shenzhen Bendibao: SWCAC guide, free entry (updated 2024) · Macao News: Art Week Shenzhen 2026 opens at SWCAC (Mar 2026) · Blooloop: V&A partnership and contract to 2019 (Nov 2017, background) · Wikipedia: Sea World station exits (reference) · checked 2026-10-04
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Good to know
- Entry
- Building free; each exhibition priced separately (e.g. ¥108 in 2025)