Location: Nanjing, China.

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects.

The Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre is a large-scale project located in Nanjing’s new central business district. It includes a conference center, two towers, basement areas, and a plaza that terminates the CBD’s main axis on the riverfront. The project aims to connect the urban environment of Hexi New Town, riverside parkland, and the rural landscapes of Jiangxinzhou Island in the Yangtzer River. The taller tower is 315 meters high and contains office floors and the Jumeirah Hotel, while the shorter tower is 255 meters high and houses a 4-star hotel. The two towers share a mixed-use podium that houses the Cultural Centre. The four major program elements of the cultural center are independent volumes surrounding a central courtyard. The Conference Hall seats 2,100 and is equipped with a multi-purpose proscenium stage suitable for conferences, cultural and theatrical events. The Auditorium seats 500 and is optimized for both acoustic orchestral performances and shows using audio equipment. The center is the first completely top-down/bottom-up tower construction in China, constructed in only 34 months using ZHA’s expertise and experience in 3D digital BIM design and construction management to reduce the on-site program by a year to only 18 months. The Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre initially opened for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and now houses the Jumeirah Hotel Nanjing.

Photo credit: Hufton + Crow.