Rippling charity headquarters by Zaha Hadid Architects tops out in Shenzhen
UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects has released photos of a sinuous high-rise building under construction in Shenzhen, which is set to become the headquarters for education charity Chen Yidan Foundation.
The Yidan Center, which has topped out, features two towers with curving floor plates that join at the top, and a bridge element providing a connection partway up.
Once complete, the building will become the headquarters for the Chen Yidan Foundation and the annual Yidan Prize, which were established by entrepreneur and Tencent co-founder Chen Yidan.
Aiming to facilitate innovation in education, the Yidan Center will include spaces for academic research, cultural events and exhibitions.
Located near Qianhai Bay, the building's rippling shape will be wrapped in glazing and horizontal louvres designed to provide solar shading.
Drawing upon the mountainous landscape surrounding Shenzhen, Zaha Hadid Architects designed the void between the towers to appear like a canyon.
A low-level structure topped with planted terraces will swoop around the side of the high rise, with staircases guiding visitors over the roof towards the open space between the towers.
A circular skylight in the floor between the towers will bring light into the interior spaces below.
"Informed by the canyons and valleys of the surrounding mountainous landscapes that have been used as routes of travel and communication for millennia, the Yidan Center is designed as a place of convergence and collaboration, emulating Shenzhen's position as a global hub of innovation and discovery," said Zaha Hadid Architects.
"Incorporating terraces and balconies overlooking a central outdoor 'canyon', the Yidan Center's design promotes connectivity and interaction while blurring the boundary between interior and exterior," it continued.
"Verdant gardens guide visitors from the surrounding streets to the base of the centre's canyon with views of the geological architectural formations overhead."
Zaha Hadid Architects hopes the building will become a cultural hub for learning innovation in Shenzhen.
"Combining the resources of the Yidan Prize's worldwide network and the Chen Yidan Foundation's detailed knowledge of the education sector, the new Yidan Center will be home to research and practice platforms that promote lifelong learning and innovations in education," said Zaha Hadid Architects.
"The centre will also provide a nurturing environment for a broader community of institutions and organisations, supporting their growth and collectively fostering an effective ecosystem that shapes the future of education for the 21st century."
Other buildings in China recently unveiled by Zaha Hadid Architects include a curving footbridge supported by three white arches and a sinuous 60,000-seat football stadium.
The photography is by Zaha Hadid Architects unless stated.
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