HUAFA Ice and Snow World — set to open in November — will serve as a competition venue for skiing events during the 15th National Games, said Zhou Mingwu, vice director of the Games’ organizing committee’s executive office, on a call-in radio program yesterday. Situated in the heart of the Qianhai Bay area and adjacent to the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, Huafa Ice and Snow World is poised to become the world’s largest indoor ice and snow center upon completion. It is designed to host international ski events organized by the International Ski Federation. According to the developer, the center will cover a floor area of 131 hectares, equivalent to 11 soccer fields, and feature an 83-meter-high and 441-meter-long ski slope. The building’s fa?ade will feature ceramic boards and aluminum panels that evoke the texture of ice crystals and glaciers. Additionally, the sloping roof of the main building will be equipped with solar panels. Below the ski slope, the FUNMIX zone will offer experiential retail, entertainment, and office spaces. The building’s design is segmented into a series of floating boxes, creating a visually captivating entrance to the ski center. Visitors can also explore a retail street, which connects the center to neighboring developments through multi-level pathways. China is already home to the world’s three largest indoor snow centers, according to the 2023 World Indoor Snow Centers Guide. The opening of Huafa Ice and Snow World will surpass the current record holder in Harbin in northeastern China, which opened in 2016. While Shenzhen already has two indoor snow centers, they are less than 10% the size of Huafa Ice and Snow World. Notably, the facility at the Window of the World theme park was one of the country’s first when it opened nearly two decades ago. (Li Jing) | 