British studio RSHP has unveiled its design for The Zhongyuan International Convention Centre, which will have an almost two-kilometre-long elevated floor plane and include 16 exhibition halls.
Located within the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone (ZAEZ) in Henan, China, the Zhongyuan International Convention and Conference Centre complex was designed by RSHP and architecture studio TJAD.
The project will sit next to an existing conference centre and extend to the east and west of a local park.
The 527,000-square-metre convention centre will have 16 exhibition halls, each measuring around 12,500 square metres, arranged on either side of a central 1.7-kilometre-long spine divided into two levels.
Designed to be pedestrian-friendly, visitors will enter the centre via the upper level, using travelators to move along it before descending to the halls they want to visit.
Restaurants and public spaces will be located along the lower level of the central walkway.
Swooping arched roofs will shelter the walkway, which was designed to create an “interconnected and easily accessible” layout, the studio said.
Three entrance pavilions will provide access to the convention centre, which will connect to the adjacent conference centre via the upper walkway.
The conference centre will be topped by a “floating” roof and will have large cable-net facades. The final part of the project, the hotel, will sit next to the conference centre on the far eastern side of the complex.
The convention centre’s and conference centre’s sculptural roofs were designed in a nod to the area’s cultural heritage and “spectacular natural beauty”, RSHP said.
“Our design for the Zhongyuan Convention Centre in China combines cutting-edge technology with traditional cultural elements, creating a space that meets the functional needs of large gatherings while standing as a landmark of innovation and state-of-the-art technology,” said RSHP partner Richard Paul.
“Our goal was to craft an architectural experience that fosters global connections and celebrates local identity, ensuring a transformative experience for all who visit.”
The Zhongyuan International Convention Centre, which will host the 3rd China National Skill Competitions in 2025, was designed to achieve the China Green Building rating.
There are plans to install a “substantial number” of photovoltaic panels on the entrance pavilion’s roof and the building will also harvest rainwater to irrigate the landscape.
Recent projects by RSHP include a skyscraper in Bogotá and a tapered museum designed to house the Bayeux Tapestry.
