A 120,000sqm exhibition building with conference and hotel facilities. Located at the edge of human development and nature. Our design proposes to integrate both aspects. The park is treated as an asset to the exhibition centre design. It is embrassed and integrated into the design process. It is used to enhance the quality and outlook in the major spaces within the complex. The landscape probes the building form causing courtyards whilst the building form swells around a small hill in order to give the landscape space to breathe. The building form engages with the landscape and conversly the landscape engages with the building both co-exist each enhancing the other. The entry concourses, shown above, are spectacular, providing an appropriate setting for large scale opening ceremonies, celebrations and performances, catering for large numbers; they are large flexible outdoor theatres.
The size of the building almost puts the design at the scale of urban planning. The main pedestrian circulation is a large scale internal street complete with places to rest, eat, drink, meet and chat all with a wide variety of moods, small and large scale spaces, private and public, intimate or spectacular tailored to every individual. We have organised the main halls on a rectangular grid (or street) pattern, with efficient goods movement, delivery and removal, vehical arrival and departure, pedestrian movement, locating this program along the road’s straight edge. Functions that do not require such rigid organisation have been located along the park and natural edges of the site, where greater flexibility of their brief allows less formal, more organic planning,fingering into the natural landscape.
Shading screens line the perimeter. The screen is designed as a rational square pattern that becomes increasingly random and organic, providing shade but also creating beautiful dappled light like being under a tree. At night the process is reversed -the facade will sparkle with the light and colour from within.