On 30th October 2014, the Zhuhai Municipal Government officiated the grand opening of the new Zhuhai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, being the first phase of the Shizimen Central Business District in China. Together with the Mayor of Zhuhai, the Chairman of Huafa, the Project’s Chief Designer – Gordon Affleck, and Project Director – Miriam Auyeung attended. The development is strategically located along the Zhuhai waterfront, maximising close proximity to Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, catalysing economic development of the wider Hengqin Region.
Gordon and Miriam led the design team for the complex from the competition winning entry and worked closely with the client to the completion of the first phase. Recently the team at 10 DESIGN have been commissioned to advise on the future design phases of the development.
The overall development comprises 640,000 sqm of accommodation. The first phases incorporate 362,000 sqm of convention, theatre, music hall, exhibition, and banquet facilities. These public and civic functions are supported with retail, F+B, serviced apartments, a 548 key Sheraton Hotel opening on 28th December 2014, and a 320m high tower which accommodates grade A office spaces together with a 250 key St Regis Hotel that is scheduled to open on 30th June 2016.
As the chief designer of the development, Gordon was invited as the key note speaker at the formal opening ceremony. The core message described “how convention and exhibition facilities if properly considered can play a vital role in the economic development of a region.” He explained that convention and exhibition centres facilitate communication and act as catalysts for trade and commerce regionally and globally. A summary of the keynote speech below:
Commercial sustainability is critical. There are several interactive ingredients leading to primary commercial successes: Location, Flexibility, and Diversity.
LOCATION
Zhuhai is unique in its location geopolitically as a link between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Zhuhai is also a place of great natural beauty. It is regarded as China’s “Garden City” due to its rich and natural environment and its famous coastline characterised by its unique sculpted rock forms.
The 320m tower acts as a visual beacon addressing the Macau Tower and the future super high-rise of the Hengqin region on the opposite shores.
In terms of forms, the design of the building reflects a strong tie of the characters of the region’s landscape. The architectural elements, emulating the sculpted shorelines of Zhuhai, sit at ease with the waterfront setting.
FLEXIBILITY
In order to cater for a wide audience, it is critical that the convention and exhibition facility can hold a multitude of diverse events with the ability to segregate or inter-mix delegates. This requires a high degree of flexibility in planning. So while the external public amenity functions of retail, F+B and office are sculpted in form, the internal planning requires to be rational and flexible.
The facility holds a multitude of functions including a theatre, a music auditorium, large scale convention and exhibition halls accommodating up to 2,000 people and large scale banquet rooms hosting up to 4,000 people.
DIVERSITY
An associated mixed use development
A commercially successful development also demands a complimentary mix of uses to make it work as a standalone destination, with continual occupation beyond the requirements of the limited convention and exhibition centre operations. Therefore other functions such as office, hospitality, serviced apartments, and retail have been designed in the first phase, creating a waterfront urban destination.
Combining public and civic functions
The civic importance of the facility should not preclude it from being enjoyed by the general public. It was a driving factor in the original design competition concept that the facility should act as a truly public amenity as well as a civic one. This principle has been adhered to throughout the whole design process with the creation of an activated plaza linking the District Road to a waterfront plaza. This plaza is activated continually by retail, F+B, and garden spaces.
An urban ribbon
The idea of combining public and civic functions brought about the idea of an urban ribbon, linking and defining functions and spaces in the Shizimen CBD.
The ribbon houses purely public functions such as F+B and retail and also physically connects the main road (Nanwan Road) to the waterfront. The ribbon acts as a screen and separator between public and semi-public functions while at the same time framing vistas both internally and externally such as the view towards Macau.
Special entrances
It also wraps around special civic functions such as the theatre and convention, and lifts and opens to create a number of different special entry points to varying zones. For instance the ribbon, wrapping on Nanwan Road, forms a formal entrance by day and a vibrant arch by night while framing the entry to the music hall and theatre on the elevated plaza with its views to Macau.
Intimate gardens
The ribbon also helps to define a series of more intimate garden spaces which are key circulation areas between zones while providing sunken daylight wells to the car park drop off areas. The combination of hardscape and planting reflect sculptural forms of the Zhuhai coastline.
A COMPELLING PLATFORM
The Shizimen CBD does provide a wide range of facilities that are rare to find in even the largest of convention facilities. It combines high quality, flexible exhibition, and convention space with several specialist spaces including a theatre and music auditoriums. With its distinctive coastal setting and a wide range of hospitality and commercial functions provided on site, the Shizimen CBD offers a compelling platform for businesses and communication.
Status: Built
Location: Zhuhai, CN
Firm Role: Lead Design Architect
