Location: Dalian, China.

Architect: Coop Himmelb(l)au.

The Dalian International Conference Center is situated in an important seaport, industrial, trade, and tourism centre located in the southernmost part of the Liaodong Peninsula in the Chinese Liaoning Province. It combines the rational structure and organization of its modern conference centre typology with the floating spaces of modernist architecture to create an instantly recognizable landmark at the terminal point of the future extension of the main city axis. The footprint of the building on the site is arranged in accordance with the orientation of the two major urban axes. The cantilevering conference spaces create a spatially multifaceted building volume and differentiate the close surroundings. Through controlled daylight input, good spatial orientation for visitors and atmospheric variety is assured.

A public zone at ground level allows for differentiating accessibility for different groups of users. The grand theatre, with a capacity of 1,600 seats and a stage tower, and the flexible conference hall of 2,500 seats are positioned at the core of the building. The main stage can be used for the classical theatre auditorium as well as for the flexible multipurpose hall. The smaller conference spaces are arranged like pearls around this core, providing short connections between the different areas, saving time while changing between the different units. The theatre and conference spaces on the main level establish a kind of urban structure with “squares” and “street spaces” to facilitate user orientation.

Photo credit: Duccio Malagamba.