Underground public spaces are rarely thought of as exciting. Functional? Yes. Necessary? Often. But inspiring? Rarely. With BREWTOWN in Shenzhen, China, AIM Architecture has turned this expectation on its head, transforming a subterranean public passageway—an often-overlooked conduit of transit—into an engaging, thematically rich experience that seamlessly connects to the vibrant food hall that essentially anchors the project. More than just a transitional space, the underground thoroughfare has become a key player in the narrative of BREWTOWN itself, in what is an evocative homage to the beer brewing process, rendered in form, materiality, and light.
Spanning an immense 184,125 square meters entirely below ground, BREWTOWN is an ambitious project centred on a bustling food hall linked to the city’s MTR Line 5 via a public passageway. The development houses over 60 tenants, including craft beer vendors, restaurants, and a music venue, cultivating an urban microcosm that invites lingering rather than merely passing through. The challenge that AIM Architecture therefore faced was how to extend the energy of the food hall into the passageway itself, ensuring that the journey between spaces was not merely functional, but immersive.