Zaha Hadid Architects wins competition to build Phase II of Beijing’s International Exhibition Centre

Zaha Hadid Architects announced the winner of the design competition to build Phase II of the International Exhibition Centre in Beijing.

As the cultural, academic, and civic center of China, Beijing has also developed into one of the world’s centers of communication and scientific research. With its own station on Line 15 of the Beijing Subway, the International Exhibition Centre is located next to the city’s Capital International Airport and has grown to become an important venue for conferences, trade fairs, and industry expos attended by delegates from across the globe.

Meeting this growth, the International Exhibition Centre’s new 438,500 sq.m Phase II by Zaha Hadid Architects will significantly expand its exhibition space, enhancing the city’s position as a leading center of knowledge and international exchange. Located at the core of the International Airport New City in Beijing’s Shunyi District, the center will welcome local residents as well as visitors from across China and around the world to its comprehensive program of events.

The integrated relationships between the exhibition halls, conference center, and hotel are echoed in the center’s composition, arranged as a series of interconnecting lines and geometries that take inspiration from the textures of glazed tubular ceramic tile roofs within traditional Chinese architecture; its copper color and large recessed windows give further expression to the visually dynamic envelope.

A central north-south axis is the primary connecting space between the east and west exhibition halls; providing functional clarity, maximum flexibility, and efficiency as well as defining shared courtyards for informal meetings and relaxation in landscaped gardens, cafes, and outdoor public event spaces. Secondary bridges at higher levels add a further layer of connectivity between the center’s network of facilities.

With its conference center and hotel located to the north of the site, the movement of people, goods, and vehicles throughout the center is divided into three separate routes to aid circulation, provide optimal adaptability and avoid disruption to ongoing events.

A composite roof system is designed 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 are balanced with its fluid architectural language. Modular fabrication and construction methods will minimize the center’s construction time, investment, and operational costs.

Solar arrays will harvest renewable energy while a smart building management system will adjust the center’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 greywater recycling will complement the extensive gardens and natural landscaping, while advancements in sustainable building technologies will target minimum embodied carbon and emissions.