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A Central Space in a Larger Landscape
Addressing Zhongzhan’s specific need for a central community space that could adapt to future growth, SOM designed a complex that includes exhibition and meeting spaces, large lobbies, flexible dining areas, offices, a central plant, building support areas, and a grand plaza for civic events. Comprised of a series of structures and courtyards sheltered under one massive, sculptural roof, the exhibition and trade mart buildings are nearly interchangeable, allowing the pavilions to be leased in a broad range of configurations that anticipate the Center’s future market needs.
Although the Center’s flexibility is critical to its success, SOM’s sustainable initiatives—calculated and continually revised to suit the site—are what make it a notable building in the landscape of Southern China. The explosive growth of the Chinese population and economy in recent years has brought both prosperity and pollution, making conservation of natural resources a key concern as the country continues to grow. Designed to minimize the negative impact of development on the area’s rich Pearl River delta, the Zhongshan International Exhibition Center suggests a regional prototype for combining sustainability with flexibility and site-specificity.
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