To make an exceptional global impact as a renowned architectural firm requires intertwining iconic designs deeply rooted in socio-economic awareness, technological integration, and a distinct global-to-local presence. Exceptional impact can be delivered when a firm moves beyond aesthetic boundaries to solve complex, human-centric challenges across diverse cultures. The design team in such a firm must understand the essence of possessing the quality of diverse equitable culture in practice along with their design thinking ability.
Library at Qiantang Bay Cultural District render by Atchain.
It’s indeed a fact that architecture education is to facilitate a critical design thinking ability for problem solving even beyond the built environment. In such a critical thinking culture, architectural firms must be able to define a clear core philosophy, leverage technology, blend global research with local context and command knowledge and thought leadership in order to make an impact by transforming a place from the mind to a spectacular masterpieces that amazes people and enhance the societal structure for exclusive living experience. We can all agree that Zaha Hadid Architects possess these exclusive qualities as a global renowned inventive design ideas organization.
Youth Center at Qiantang Bay Cultural District. Render by Proloog
Series of Cultural Building Design by Zaha Hadid Architects
Selected to design some spectacular cultural buildings within the Qiantang Bay Cultural District which is a major canal-side regeneration project in Hangzhou, China, Zaha Hadid Architects will transform the former industrial land along the Zhedong Canal into a continuous functional landscape of parks, gardens, and civic spaces.
Designed as an ecological corner, the Central Water Axis rearranges the canal basin into a sequence of landscaped terraces and waterfront promenades. Some exclusive concepts about this big projects are the new bridges and pedestrian paths that stitch together both sides of the canal, inventively reconnecting surrounding neighborhoods to the water as well as establishing a network of aesthetic plazas and performance spaces planned for everyday use and large gatherings. This axis includes cultural and educational buildings, and each is planned toward the public realm and structured by views, circulation patterns, and seasonal solar exposure. This is a spectacular big project for Zaha Hadid Architects and we look forward to celebrating its completion.
Youth Center at Qiantang Bay Cultural District. Render by Proloog
The library columns are conceived as assembled stones of knowledge. Render by Proloog
The scheme transforms former industrial land into a landscape of parks, gardens, and civic spaces.
Referencing the area’s 5,000-year tradition of jade craftsmanship.
Project Info:
Name: Qiantang Bay Cultural District
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Location: Hangzhou, China
Principal: Patrik Schumacher
Competition Project Directors: Lei Zheng, Simon Yu
Competition Associate: Jinqi Huang
Competition Project Architect: Yenfen Huang
Competition Project Leads: Yenfen Huang, Charles Harris, Sonia Magdziarz
Competition Team: Joshua Anderson, Nils Fischer, Charles Harris, Jinqi Huang, Yenfen Huang, Yvonne Huang, Ruzena Maskova, Sonia Magdziarz, Svenja Siever, Yaobin Wang, Ke Yang, Simon Yu, Lei Zheng
