zaha hadid architects to extend beijing's international exhibition centre

zaha hadid architects (ZHA) has won a competition to build the second phase of beijing’s international exhibition centre. located next to the chinese city’s international airport, the venue hosts conferences, trade fairs, and industry expos attended by delegates from across the globe. to accommodate future growth, a design competition was launched to expand the site’s exhibition space, enhancing the city’s position as a leading center of knowledge and international exchange.

image by atchain | main image by slashcube

ZHA’s design is arranged as a series of interconnecting lines and geometries that reference the textures of glazed tubular ceramic tile roofs found in traditional chinese architecture. this configuration also allows for integrated relationships between the exhibition halls, conference center, and hotel. finished with a copper color, the scheme incorporates large recessed windows that give further expression to the visually dynamic envelope.

image by atchain

a central north-south axis is the primary connecting space between the east and west exhibition halls, while secondary bridges at higher levels add a further layer of connectivity. this creates a series of shared courtyards and landscaped gardens intended for informal meetings and relaxation. cafés and outdoor public event spaces are also included as part of the plan. meanwhile, the movement of people, goods, and vehicles is divided into three separate routes to aid circulation, provide optimal adaptability, and avoid disruption to ongoing events.

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the architects designed a composite roof system to insulate the interior environment and provide maximum sound absorption. ‘the roof’s symmetric geometries create an efficient lightweight large span structure to provide a column free flexible space that can quickly adapt to changes in exhibitions and nature of use; its industrial materiality and scale balanced with its fluid architectural language,’ ZHA explains. modular fabrication and construction methods will minimize the project’s construction time and operational costs.

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solar arrays will harvest renewable energy, while a smart building management system will adjust the building’s hybrid ventilation as required, ensuring optimum natural ventilation supported when necessary by high efficiency HVAC equipment to enhance indoor air quality and further reduce electricity demand. rainwater collection and grey water recycling will complement the extensive gardens and natural landscaping, while advancements in sustainable building technologies will target minimum embodied carbon and emissions.

image by slashcube

image by ZHA

project info:

name: beijing’s international exhibition centre (phase II)
location: beijing, china
site area: 63.74 hectares
height: 45 m
gross floor area above grade: 438,500 sqm: exhibition halls: 346,500 sqm; conference centre: 44,000 sqm; hotel: 48,000 sqm; basements: 205,200 sqm

project team —
architect: zaha hadid architects (ZHA)
design: patrik schumacher
ZHA competition project directors: satoshi ohashi, paulo flores
ZHA competition project associates: yang jingwen, michail desyllas
ZHA competition project leader: di ding
ZHA competition team: eduardo camarena, enoch kolo, che-hung chien, felix amiss, genci sulo, i-chun lin, jiaxing lu, juan liu, mariana custodio dos santos, meng zhao, michael on, nastasja mitrovic, nicolas tornero, ying xia, zheng xu