zaha hadid architects completes changsha meixihu international culture & arts centre

zaha hadid architects (ZHA) has shared the first images of the completed ‘changsha meixihu international culture & arts centre’ — a spectacular complex in china, which comprises a contemporary art museum, an 1,800-seat theatre, and a multipurpose hall. previously featured on designboom here, the project’s organic architectural language is defined by the pedestrian routes that weave through the site to connect with neighboring streets.

image © virgile simon bertrand (also main image)

providing views of the adjacent meixi lake from the city, and giving access to the parks and walking trails on the lake’s festival island, the ensemble of three separate cultural institutions creates a network of external courtyards capable of hosting outdoor events or sculpture exhibitions. described by ZHA as the largest and most versatile cultural center in china’s hunan province, the complex connects directly with changsha’s new metro system.

image © virgile simon bertrand

the contemporary art museum, known as MICA, comprises eight exhibtion galleries articulated around an atrium for large-scale installations and events. ‘flowing eternity’, MICA’s first exhibition, is now on view. the immersive display is by MOTSE, a group of 40 artists and scientists based in shenzhen whose collaborative, interactive works use technologies in new media to explore contemporary culture. elsewhere, there are dedicated spaces for community workshops, a lecture theatre, a café, and a museum shop.

image © virgile simon bertrand

designed for the widest variety of performing arts, the 1,800-seat grand theatre provides all front-of-house functions in sculpted lobbies, bars, and hospitality suites, as well as the necessary ancillary functions including administration offices, rehearsal studios, backstage logistics, wardrobe and dressing rooms. meanwhile, the third civic institution, the small theatre, is characterized by its flexibility. this multipurpose hall, with a capacity of 500 seats, can be transformed to different configurations to accommodate a broad range of functions and performances that span from small plays, fashion shows, and music performances to banquets and commercial events.

image © virgile simon bertrand

image © virgile simon bertrand

image © virgile simon bertrand

image © virgile simon bertrand

image © virgile simon bertrand

image © virgile simon bertrand

image © virgile simon bertrand

image © virgile simon bertrand

photograph by IG: seven7panda

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project info:

name: changsha meixihu international culture & arts centre

location: changsha, china
architect: zaha hadid architects (ZHA)
design: zaha hadid, patrik schumacher
ZHA project director: woody yao, simon yu
ZHA project leader: simon yu
ZHA 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
ZHA schematic design: zhenjiang guo, charles kwan, jinqi huang
ZHA museum design: tariq khayyat, kutbuddin nadiadi, diego rossel, gerry cruz, matteo melioli, xiaosheng li, yuxi fu, thomas jensen, matthew johnson, justin kelly, drew merkle

ZHA competition team —
ZHA project architect: tiago correia
ZHA project team: victor orive, fabiano continanza. zhenjiang guo, danilo arsic, ines fontoura, rafael gonzález, alejandro díaz, jimena araiza
ZHA concept development: hannes schafelner, philipp ostermaier, jakub klaska, maren klasing, saman saffarian, martin krcha, maria tsironi, spyridon kaprinis

competition consultants —
structural, facade & building services engineering: burohappold engineering
theatre consultants: theatre projects consultants
acoustics consultants: marshall day acoustics

consultants —
local design institute: guangzhou pearl river foreign investment architectural designing institute (guangzhou, china)
structural engineers & building services: guangzhou pearl river foreign investment architectural designing institute (guangzhou, china)
specialist acoustics consultants to the architect: marshall day acoustics (hong kong & melbourne)
project acoustical consultants: zhang kuisheng acoustical design research studio (shanghai, china)
theatre management consultants: poly theatre engineering consultancy (beijing) co. ltd.
theatre equipment consultants: kunkel theatre engineering & consulting (beijing) co., ltd.
museum management consultants: global cultural asset management (new york)
transport consultants: sinclair knight merz (shanghai, china)
project management: shanghai gao shen consultants ltd. (shanghai, china)