zaha hadid: changsha meixihu international culture & art center

the capital of the south central chinese province of hunan is in the midst of incredible population growth and rapid urban development. at the center of a stimulus worth 130 billion USD is the idyllic meixihu lake, now primed for an ambitious set of cultural projects. zaha hadid’s winning design for the ‘changsha meixihu international culture and art center’ broke ground in october after distinguishing itself as a composition of serpentine curves forming a complex that contains a contemporary art museum, a multipurpose hall, a hotel, and various ancillary facilities.

flythrough of the complex | video © zaha hadid architects

the central plaza emphasizes the pedestrian urban experience by helping to create incidental meeting areas and generating cultural capital in form of a sculpture garden and expansive exhibition space. views of the lake are framed by the museum’s three-petal form, unfurling around a central atrium. outward views are afforded by ribbons of glazing and balconies that serve the dual purpose of admitting daylight into the galleries. the multipurpose hall is a pointedly variable space, with public access to retail areas and restaurants nestled in a sunken courtyard.

the buildings seek to be a global destination
image © zaha hadid architects

the focal point of the plan comes by way of the grand theater, slated to be the largest performance venue in the city with an 1800 seat capacity. new zealand-based acoustic engineers at marshall day won a december bid to optimize sound performance in the central auditorium. the three major programs,while discrete buildings, are linked by sinuous passageways, curved white planes and an architecture of baroque intonations.

each building, while separate, is joined by color, greenery and dramatic shape
image © zaha hadid architects

the museum is one of the ‘nodes’ in the cultural megaplex
image © zaha hadid architects

strata of glazing and built material curve together to join the space
image © zaha hadid architects

elevated walkways and balconies distinguish the art experience
image © zaha hadid architects

an interior view of the three-petaled museum
image © zaha hadid architects

project info:

architect: zaha hadid architects
design: zaha hadid, patrik schumacher
project director: woody yao, simon yu
project team: zhenjiang guo, charles kwan, jinqi huang, neil sansom, pravin ghosh, thomas jensen, justin kelly, wandy mulia, uli schifferdecker, adrian aguirre herrera, aurora santana, koren sin, johanna huang, yifan zhang, collin spelts, fei liang, adam fingrut, yitzhak samun
schematic design: zhenjiang guo, charles kwan , jinqi huang
museum design: tariq khayyat, kutbuddin nadiadi, diego rossel, gerry cruz, matteo melioli, xiaosheng li, yuxi fu, thomas jensen, matthew johnson, justin kelly, drew merkle
competition team project architect: tiago correia
competition team: victor orive, fabiano continanza, zhenjiang guo, danilo arsic, ines fontoura, rafael gonzález, alejandro díaz, jimena araiza
concept development: hannes schafelner, philipp ostermaier, jakub klaska, maren klasing, saman saffarian, martin krcha, maria tsironi, spyridon kaprinis
structural, facade & building services engineering (competition): buro happold
theatre consultants (competition): theatre projects consultants
acoustics consultants (competition): marshall day acoustics