Zaha Hadid Architects to design Phase II of Beijing's International Exhibition Centre

Zaha Hadid Architects has been selected to design Phase II of the International Exhibition Centre in Beijing. Located next to the city's Capital International Airport in the Shunyi District, the venue is expanding its capacity to host conferences, trade fairs, and industry events by 438,500 square meters (4.7 million square feet).

"The integrated relationships between the exhibition halls, conference center, and hotel are echoed in the center's composition," explains the project description, "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."

"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."

Zaha Hadid Architects will work in collaboration with local architect BIAD and urban planning partner AECOM.