SOM’s design for the Zhongshan International Exhibition Center responds to local needs, as well as to international exhibition hall requirements. Designers initially conceived the Center as a living room for the burgeoning industrial city of 1.3 million. In its role as an international exhibition center, the complex requires advanced and generous amenities enabling it to compete with other major trade facilities nearby.

Project Facts

Completion Year: 2008
Site Area: 262,974 m²
Project Area: 122,941 m²
Building Height: 28.60 m
Number of Stories: 3

Zhongshan International Exhibition Center creates a social and economic nucleus for the burgeoning industrial city of 1.3 million. In addition to serving as a convention center, the site is a popular gathering place for city dwellers.

The complex includes a number of amenities: meeting spaces, comfortable lobbies, flexible dining areas, administrative support spaces, VIP suites, a central high-performance engineering plant, building support areas, and a grand plaza. The grand plaza—which accommodates civic celebrations, special events, and outdoor exhibitions—is one of the many flexible, functional elements that enable the complex to be leased in a wide range of configurations. Additionally, these features allow the center to compete with other nearby facilities, including those in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and even Hong Kong and Macao.

Formally, the Center’s design was derived from the famous rolling hills of Zhongshan, as well as from the structure of ancient lamellar Chinese armor. The entire complex is sheltered by a continuous undulating aluminum and steel roof. Solar collectors built into the louvered roof system generate enough energy to power the primary lighting systems. The faceted design, which helps to naturally moderate Zhongshan’s tropical temperatures, creates a dappled effect of light and shadows on the plaza below.

The complex features additional sustainable features including concrete earth tubes buried below grade and geothermal heat sinks. Air is drawn into the earth tubes and naturally pre-cooled before being drawn into the building’s air conditioning system. The geothermal heat sinks further reduce electrical and water energy consumption by using tubes embedded in the support caissons that descend straight into the soil—even deeper than earth tubes. Heat exchange occurs within the earth, and the naturally cooled liquid is then drawn back into the cooling system.

Located in sub-tropical China, Zhongshan International Exhibition Center and Trade Mart provides a new town center that is well-suited for public assembly and community space.

SOM’s initial design incorporated a wind trellis to provide shade for the plazas and pavilions below and generate energy to power a significant portion of the lighting demand for the complex. The trellis, constructed with efficient cable systems, was intended to house a series of wind turbines which generate the power supply, potentially reducing energy demand by
25-50%. Due to environmental and budgetary limitations, a different scheme was selected.

In the final design, the entire complex is sheltered by an enormous undulating roof structure, inspired by the forms of ancient Chinese armor and the rolling hills surrounding the site. The trellised structure extends beyond the building to provide shade for the plazas and pavilions. The “breathable” roof system has openings designed for ventilation and radiant sky cooling. The roof is constructed of highly efficient and lightweight trusses that support the metal roofing systems of the individual pavilions and operable louvers that shade selected areas of the plazas. In addition, the skylights in the trade mart and exhibit halls are made of a unique material which minimizes unwanted solar radiation while allowing natural daylight to flow into the building.

Considerations were also given to the following: natural ventilation in tall spaces utilizing the stack effect; a natural smoke exhaust design; variable primary pumping; a high efficiency lighting system; heat wheel heat recovery; a carbon monoxide/indoor air quality based ventilation system; and variable speed chiller and ground source cooling options.

The “breathable” roof system has openings designed for ventilation and radiant sky cooling.