Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has unveiled its design for a cultural district in the Qiantang Bay Central Water Axis in the Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou, a renovated former industrial area.
Set in the basin of the Zhedong Canal, a network of bridges and paths will cross the canal and connect the surrounding city with landscaped gardens, parks, plazas and promenades.
ZHA has designed a library with a façade made from precision-crafted masonry tiles inspired by the tonal qualities of the region’s 5,000-year history of jade working. The façade has folded glass elements to diffuse natural internal light, allowing a “luminous ambience” for those studying or reading.
ZHA has also designed the new International Youth Centre, with auditoriums and studios with spaces for seminars, conferences, exhibitions and performances.
The centre’s geometric exterior contains public terraces and is mirrored by a carved interior formed of interlinked rooms.
Green design features include solar panelling, permeable surfaces, planted swales and water-retention features that increase stormwater management.
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