Beyond the Box
To create an architecturally significant structure with civic presence, the design team challenged the old “big box” standard of convention center building, literally opening up the box with glass curtain walls and open courtyards that enable natural light to penetrate the space. Designers also purposefully broke up the program of the complex into smaller pieces, creating a square letter “U” composed of energy-efficient glass structures. These pavilions provide 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, 200,000 square feet of trademart space, a separate convention building for dining and special events, and a future expansion area of 100,000 square feet. The trademart and exhibition hall form two sides of the U, and the future addition—currently a fountain functioning as a placeholder—forms the third side.
The glass pavilions enable more flexibility than a standard warehouse-style complex. With a wide range of possible uses, the structure can adapt to Zhongshan’s changing needs as its economy grows. Lucid programming also allowed designers to define and frame a communal space, where the roof blankets a public square with dappled light and shadows. This central plaza is a major new civic space for the city, and the local government plans on using it for events.
Extending the beyond-the-box approach to the surrounding grounds, SOM sited the complex in the most contextually sensitive relation to the landscape. A small stream frames the west and south edges of the area. Designers reorganized and dammed the water to broaden its reflective surface. The convention center sits a bit outside of the formal rectangular realm of the complex, right on the edge of the stream—seemingly floating on the edge of the water. SOM added a series of bio-swales (drainage courses with gently sloped sides) on the northwest and east edges of the complex. The runoff is organically directed into the riverbed, which naturally cleanses and relieves the local water handling systems and storm sewers.
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