Zaha Hadid Architects

ON SITE: Photographer Virgile Simon Bertrand sent us stunning images of construction works at International Gateway Centre rapidly progressing towards completion. The new 3.2 million sq. ft. development located above #HongKong’s High Speed Rail West Kowloon Terminus which has remained in operation throughout all building works. Also adjacent to the Kowloon and Austin stations of the city’s MTR metro network, this new business district integrates with the pedestrian West Kowloon Parkway, giving established and emerging neighbourhoods within Kowloon direct access to the harbourside and parks of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Providing almost 100,000 sq. ft. of garden terraces, plazas and atriums with shopping and dining on its lower five levels, the development incorporates two pairs of interconnected office towers located at both the northern and southern ends of the site. The towers frame a large central plaza with a sculptural pavilion housing panoramic lifts that connect to the levels below. Situated above the West Kowloon Terminus and serving as the gateway to Hong Kong, the development’s composition maximizes outdoor public space and enhances natural ventilation throughout the district, in addition to respecting the ridgeline of Kowloon’s mountains to the north, maintaining the mountain views from across the harbour on Hong Kong Island. Divided into a series of interconnected ‘petals’ each with a different orientation and height, each tower tapers inward at its summit to reduce their perceived volume while the façade’s vertical shading pleats extend over each rooftop, creating ‘halos’ that shelter roof terraces and sky gardens. The towers also taper inward at lower levels, reducing their footprint to increase outdoor space and air flow. Achieving an ‘excellent’ BREEAM rating as well as the highest rating of LEED, WELL and HK BEAM Plus pre-certification, the development incorporates high-performance façades with low thermal transfer values and solar shading fins. Photovoltaic panels integrated at roof level and within the façade will reduce energy demand from the city’s electricity grid.

Phaeno Science Center has celebrated its 20th anniversary “Revolutionary is a word to be used as sparingly as possible; especially when it is applied to architecture. But Zaha Hadid’s new science centre in Wolfsburg, an astonishing, exhilarating concrete and steel vortex of a building, is one of those very few constructions that fully justifies its use. She allows us to experience space in ways that never seemed possible before. The building does indeed turn architecture upside down, suggesting a new understanding of space that had previously only existed in the architect’s mind.” The Observer UK ZHA was commissioned to build the Phaeno following its 1997 design competition, collaborating with AKT II to create the centre’s innovative structure. Since its opening in 2005, the Phaeno has presented a fantastic programme of events and interactive exhibitions showcasing the principles & powers of science. Photo credit to Werner Huthmacher

ZHA’s Christos Passas joined the RICHMIND Development team and dignitaries in #RasAlKhaimah #UAE for the ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of Oystra. Located on Al Marjan Island, Oystra is a 128,000 sq. m seafront community of 950 one- to four-bedroom apartments, duplexes, penthouses, and waterfront villas, together with extensive shopping, dining & leisure amenities.

Greater Bay Area Sports Centre will host its first large-scale events with a series of four sold-out concerts beginning 5th December. The centre serves cities within the Pearl River Delta including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau which comprise the Greater Bay Area—the world’s largest conurbation, with its population anticipated to reach 100 million by 2030. In Guangzhou’s Nansha District on the western bank of the river, the centre will anchor the new civic quarter at the heart of the Greater Bay Area. Offering its local community facilities of the highest standards, the centre is also designed to host international sports & cultural events, easily accessed by all Greater Bay Area residents via Line 18 of Guangzhou Metro and the new Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge. Situated in a 70-hectare waterfront park giving Nansha’s residents outdoor spaces for sports & recreation, the centre incorporates a 60,000-seat stadium, a 20,000-seat arena for basketball & other indoor events, and a 4,000-seat aquatic centre with 50-metre swimming pool & diving well. Within Guangdong’s subtropical monsoon climate, this 70-hectare parkland is part of the district’s flood protection measures and will incorporate wetlands managing excess water during extreme sea-level fluctuations. The centre’s architecture echoes the tapering geometries evident in the hulls of the region’s traditional sailing ships that were initially designed in the Song Dynasty approximately 1000 years ago. These historic vessels established the Pearl River as China’s gateway to the world. Vertical louvres define the curvatures of each building within the centre & encourage natural cooling by the prevailing summer winds that blow inland from the South China Sea. A grand arch in the stadium’s design directs cooler sea air into the stadium while giving views of the river during events. Photos: 张灏 Seilaojiong; CRLand

Huge congratulations to #ZHA’s recent Part 3 graduates: Ali Rais, Ana Metelskaia, Dhruval Shah, Didem Sahin, Iris Chen, Jinhee Koh, Olivia Dolan, Wei-Yu Hsiao, Yuzhi Xu and Yvonne Huang on your achievement - we’re all proud of your success!

Imtiaz Developments has announced the new Symphony Tower, located within the new Horizon district of Dubai between the Meydan Racecourse and the waters of Ras Al Khor—the uppermost reaches of the historic Dubai Creek on which the city was founded. Drawing inspiration from the distinctive three-dimensional geometries and detailed embroidery of Al Sadu & Talli—the traditional Emirati crafts of weaving with metallic threads—the tower’s exoskeleton defines an interlaced façade that appears to transform in tone and depth as the sun moves across the sky throughout the day. A variety of external spaces throughout the 42-storey tower provide outdoor living areas for each apartment. Determined by the grid of the tower’s exoskeleton and accentuated by the varied depths of these outdoor spaces, this interwoven structure imbues a distinctive rhythm & texture to each façade, emulating the patterning & craftsmanship of the embroidery fashioned by the Emirate’s traditional artisans. Photovoltaics charge batteries for the tower’s lighting, reusing solar energy absorbed during the day to describe the softly illuminated three-dimensional lattice of the exoskeleton. The gentle amber glow of this lattice after sunset expresses the recurring pattern within the structure, echoing the geometric reflections from metallic threads within the region’s celebrated embroidery. The precision engineered exoskeleton serves both structural & environmental functions. Reducing solar gain by shading the façades, the exoskeleton and its terraces also shelter the tower’s outdoor living areas, providing residents with comfortable external spaces throughout much of the year. Modular construction methods and the use of recycled steel, low-carbon concrete and responsibly sourced finishes will decrease the tower’s embodied carbon, while its water consumption will be reduced through greywater recycling, low-flow fixtures and drought-tolerant landscaping. Animation by bloomimages

#ZHA staff and interns visited the London Aquatics Centre for an inspiring tour!

ON SITE: construction progressing at the Jinghe New City Culture & Art Centre near Xi’an The centre’s design is defined by the city’s existing urban masterplan to connect the new multimedia library to the north of Jinghe Avenue with the new performing arts theatre, multi-function halls, studios and exhibition galleries to the south via elevated courtyards, gardens and paths that span the avenue’s eight lanes of traffic below. Weaving through the city to link its northern commercial and residential districts with the parks and river to the south, while also bringing the city’s residents into the heart of the building and providing direct access to the planned metro station—defining a gateway to the district’s network of elevated public walkways. Organized as a series of flowing volumes, layers and surfaces interconnected with courtyards and landscapes, the design defines a sequence of interior and exterior spaces for its community. Solar radiation analysis and responsive site planning optimise the centre’s use of natural ventilation and daylight in the mild temperate climate of Jinghe New City. Incorporating photovoltaic panels for on-site power generation together with rainwater collection, the centre’s construction prioritises locally-produced materials and recycled content to achieve a 3-star certification in China’s Green Building program. Construction photos: Zue Yumeng Renders: ATCHAIN

ON SITE: Three construction cranes have installed largest of the ‘crocodile’ beams supporting the spectators’ terraces onto the columns at the northwest corner of the new Aarhus Stadium. Almost 100 sculptural columns encircle the stadium, defining a beautiful colonnade along each facade with visitor amenities and public spaces.

Great photos via Kongelunden Aarhus