OCT Art & Design Gallery华美术馆
Design-led exhibitions in an old OCT warehouse remodelled by local architects Urbanus.
Inside Window of the World · In OCT Loft Creative Park
China's first design museum, in a honeycomb-wrapped former laundry on Shennan Avenue
Hua Art Museum (华·美术馆), still widely listed in English as the OCT Art & Design Gallery, opened on 1 September 2008 as the first museum in China dedicated to design. It sits on Shennan Avenue in Overseas Chinese Town, between the InterContinental hotel and the He Xiangning Art Museum, and is now the design museum of the OCAT group.
The building is a conversion by Shenzhen architects URBANUS. The original was a laundry block built in the early 1980s for the Shenzhen Bay Hotel. Rather than knock it down, they wrapped it in a glass curtain wall made of four sizes of hexagon, which reaches into the galleries and shapes the interior. It has about 2,000 square metres of exhibition space.
There is no permanent collection on show; exhibitions change every few weeks or months and cover graphic, product, fashion and spatial design as well as contemporary art. Shows tend to be smaller and cheaper than at the big municipal museums, so it is an easy stop if you are already at OCT or the He Xiangning Art Museum.
What to see and do
The hexagon facade
URBANUS's glass skin, built from four hexagon sizes, is one of the best-known pieces of 2000s architecture in Shenzhen and worth seeing even from the pavement.
Design-led exhibitions
Rotating shows across graphic, product, spatial and fashion design; the December 2025 show was 'Paper Path' (纸道) in the ground-floor hall.
Part of the OCAT group
Shows are announced through OCAT, and combined passes have covered Hua Art Museum alongside the OCAT galleries in OCT Loft.
He Xiangning Art Museum next door
The national art museum is right beside it, so you can see both in one visit.
Visiting
- Address
- 9009-1 Shennan Avenue, OCT, Nanshan (南山区华侨城深南大道9009-1号), west of the InterContinental Shenzhen
- Hours
- Set per exhibition; the December 2025 show ran 10:00–18:00 (OCAT, 2025). Older listings give 10:00–17:30, closed Mondays
- Tickets
- Varies by show: ¥20 single, ¥30 for two for 'Paper Path' (2025)
- Booking
- Follow OCAT's WeChat account (OCATShenzhen) for shows and tickets
- Getting there
- Line 1 to Huaqiaocheng (华侨城), Exit C, on the south side of Shennan Avenue
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Check that a show is on before you go: there's no permanent display, and the hall can close between exhibitions.
- Use Exit C at Huaqiaocheng; the south-side exits put you on the same side of Shennan Avenue as the museum and He Xiangning Art Museum.
- Pair it with He Xiangning Art Museum next door and OCAT's galleries in OCT Loft, one stop east on Line 1 (Qiaocheng East).
- Look for OCAT's combined passes, which have included this museum.
FAQ
Is Hua Art Museum the same as OCT Art & Design Gallery?
Yes. 华·美术馆 is the Chinese name; it has been called the OCT Art & Design Gallery in English since it opened in 2008, and is now usually written Hua Art Museum.
Which metro exit for Hua Art Museum?
Huaqiaocheng (OCT) station on Line 1, Exit C.
How much are tickets at Hua Art Museum?
Each show sets its own price; the late-2025 show was ¥20 single.
Who designed the OCT Art & Design Gallery?
Shenzhen-based URBANUS converted a 1980s hotel laundry building and wrapped it in a hexagonal glass curtain wall.
Sources: OCAT Shenzhen (official account, Sohu mirror): Hua Art Museum show, hours and prices (Dec 2025) · Divisare: URBANUS, OCT Art and Design Gallery (architecture background) · iMuseum: 华·美术馆 listing (address, exhibition area) · Shenzhen Bendibao: Hua Art Museum visitor guide, Exit C (Jul 2022, background) · Wikipedia: Overseas Chinese Town station exits (reference) · checked 2026-10-04
Good to know
- Entry
- Per show (e.g. ¥20 in Dec 2025)