Galaxy Soho in Beijing, China by Zaha Hadid

Article source: Zaha Hadid

The Galaxy SOHO project in central Beijing for SOHO China is a 330 000m2 office, retail and entertainment complex that will become an integral part of the living city, inspired by the grand scale of Beijing. Its architecture is a composition of four continuous, flowing volumes that are set apart, fused or linked by stretched bridges. These volumes adapt to each other in all directions, generating a panoramic architecture without corners or abrupt transitions that break the fluidity of its formal composition.

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

• Architects: Zaha Hadid
• Project: Galaxy Soho
• Location: Beijing, China
• Design: Zaha Hadid with Patrik Schumacher
• Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
• Project Director, Associate: Satoshi Ohashi
• Associate: Cristiano Ceccato
• Project Architect: Yoshi Uchiyama
• Photographers: Hufton + Crow, Iwan Baan
• Client: SOHO China
• Program: Mixed-use Commercial Building (Office & Retail)

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

• Project Team: Rolando Rodriguez-Leal, Eugene Leung, Kelly Lee, Rita Lee, Lillie Liu, Seung-ho Yeo
• (DD Phase): Michael Grau, Shu Hashimoto, Shao-Wei Huang, Chikara Inamura, Lydia Kim, Yasuko Kobayashi, Raymond Lau, Wang Lin, Tao Wen, Stephan Wurster, Dorian Bybee, Yereem Park
• (SDPhase): Samer Chamoun, Michael Hill, Tom Wuenschmann, Shuojiong Zhang
• Local Design Institute: BIAD Beijing Institute of Architecture & Design
• Consultants: Lighting: LIGHTDESIGN
• Contractor: China Construction, First Building (Group), Corporation Ltd
• Plot area: 46,965 m2
• Total Floor Area: 332,857 m2
• Above Ground: 4 Towers 15 Floors (12 Office Floors and 3 Retail Floors)
• Max Height: 67 meters

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

• Below Ground: B1 Floor Retail and B2 & B3 Parking (1275 cars), MEP
• Retail Floors: B1F,1F,2F,3F (90,000 m2)
• Materials Exterior: 3mm Aluminium Exterior Cladding, Insulated, Glass, Stone
• Materials Interiors: Glass, Terrazzo, GRG, Tile, Stainless Steel, Gypsum, Board Painted
• Structure: Concrete Construction (8.4m spans)
• Floor to Floor Heights: Retail floors 5.4m, office floors 3.5m
• Landscape: Stone, Glass, Stainless Steel
• Exterior Furniture: Stone, FRP
• LEED Rating: Silver
• Construction Period: 2009 – 2012 (30 months)

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

The great interior courts of the project are a refl ection of traditional Chinese architecture where courtyards create an internal world of continuous open spaces. Here, the architecture is no longer composed of rigid blocks, but instead comprised of volumes which coalesce to create a world of continuous mutual adaptation and fl uid movement between each building. Shifting plateaus within the design impact upon each other to generate a deep sense of immersion and envelopment. As users enter deeper into the building, they discover intimate spaces that follow the same coherent formal logic of continuous curvelinearity.

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

The lower three levels of Galaxy SOHO house public facilities for retail and entertainment. The levels immediately above provide work spaces for clusters of innovative businesses. The top of the building is dedicated to bars, restaurants and cafés that offer views along one of the greatest avenues of the city. These different functions are interconnected through intimate interiors that are always linked with the city, helping to establish Galaxy SOHO as a major urban landmark for Beijing.

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

Five continuous, flowing volumes coalesce to create an internal world of continuous open spaces within Galaxy Soho – a new office, retail entertainment complex devoid of corners or abrupt transitions – a re-inventing of the classical Chinese courtyard which generates an immersive, enveloping experience at the heart of Beijing.

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

Galaxy Soho constitutes a new office, retail and entertainment complex for the heart of this great Chinese city – matching its grand scale. The complex comprises five continuous flowing volumes, set apart yet fused or linked by a sequence of stretched bridges. Each volume adapts outwards, generating a panoramic architecture devoid of corners or abrupt transitions.

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

Galaxy Soho reinvents the great interior courts of Chinese antiquity to create an internal world of continuous open spaces. Here, architecture no longer incorporates rigid blocks, but instead comprises volumes which coalesce to achieve continuous mutual adaptation and fluid movement between buildings. Shifting plateaus impact upon each other to generate a deep sense of immersion and envelopment, allowing visitors to discover intimate spaces as they move deeper in the building.

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

The structure’s three lower levels contain retail and entertainment facilities, those above provide works spaces for innovative businesses of many kinds, while top levels are dedicated to bars, restaurants and cafes – many with views along the city’s great avenues.

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

Image Courtesy © Iwan Baan

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy © Hufton + Crow

Tags: Beijing, China

Categories: Commercial Building, Mixed use, Offices, Retail, Zaha Hadid

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