MAD's yabuli conference centre mimics the snow-capped mountains of northeastern china

located in northeastern china, yabuli is known for its rugged terrain and snow-capped mountains. the region, which is considered to be the ‘davos of asia’, is also home to a variety of summits hosted by the china entrepreneur forum (CEF). in 2017, the CEF commissioned MAD architects, led by ma yansong, to design a permanent venue that embodied the ambitions and ideologies the organization — as well as china’s burgeoning entrepreneurial industry.

all images by mir

sited along the axis of a mountain, MAD’s design for the ‘yabuli conference centre’ is a tent-like structure that is defined by soft, sloping lines. although it mimics its mountainous backdrop, the building reaches a maximum height of just 24 meters, allowing it to become part of the natural landscape.

a skylight positioned at the center of the roof allows natural light to flood the interior

organized over four floors, the scheme comprises a museum, small and large auditoriums (with 356-seats and 1000-seats respectively), a series of conference rooms and studios, and additional exhibition areas. a skylight positioned at the center of the roof allows natural light to flood the interior. according to the design team, this focal point acts as a symbolic metaphor for the ideas and discussions that will take place within the building. throughout the scheme, windows offer uninterrupted panoramic views of the surroundings year-round.

the scheme is organized over four floors

public plazas at the front and rear of the building create a dialogue between architecture and nature, while the design’s reflective exterior changes depending on the ever-changing climatic conditions. the ‘yabuli conference centre’ broke ground in spring of 2018, and is scheduled for completion in 2020.

yabuli is known for its rugged terrain and snow-capped mountains

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project info:

name: china entrepreneur forum conference centre
location: yabuli, china
dates: 2017 – 2020
site area: 22,001 sqm
building area: 16,198 sqm

principal partners in charge: ma yansong, dang qun, yosuke hayano

associate partners in charge: liu huiying
design team: li guangchong, sun shouquan, fu xiaoyi, xiao ying, song chi, deng wei, zhang xiaomei, zhao meng, huai wei, che-hung chien, cao chen, zhang yanru, wang shuobin, yuki ishigami, lin yuyang

client: china entrepreneur forum
executive architect: china architecture design & research group
façade consultant: shanghai kighton facade consultants co., ltd.
landscape architect: BJF international design