▲ Aerial view
The Shijiazhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center is situated in Zhengding New District, Shijiazhuang City, covering a total land area of 64.4 hectares. The entire construction area spans 359,000 square meters, with 229,000 square meters above ground.
The central hub connects various conference and exhibition zones in a fishbone layout. A multi-level walkway system separates pedestrian, vehicle, and goods traffic efficiently. The exhibition complex includes seven standard halls, each 11,000 square meters, alongside a large multifunctional hall of 26,000 square meters. Altogether, the exhibition space totals 110,000 square meters, making it the world’s largest suspension structure exhibition hall to date.
▲ Aerial view
A recent post-use research report on multiple exhibition buildings across China highlights several challenges faced by venue owners and operators:
- Space fragmentation within the city caused by large volumes of exhibition buildings.
- Limited registration halls and insufficient exhibition hall combinations, restricting market adaptability. Many halls serve a single purpose, lacking exploration of commercial potential. Venues often lack large, independent multifunctional halls (20,000–30,000 sqm) required for performances, music clubs, corporate events, and annual meetings.
- Structural incompatibilities, where design prioritizes form over function, leading to unnecessary material waste.
- A lack of cultural significance and regional identity within spatial details.
- High energy consumption, with extensive glass curtain walls and oversized central halls. Transitional season halls suffer from poor air circulation and lack intelligent power management.
To tackle these issues, the following design strategies were implemented:
1. Open urban space integration: The venue is designed without enclosing walls, allowing citizens free access. Landscape elements near main city roads are scaled to encourage social interaction. Additionally, a planned ground lane through the east-side green space was converted into an underground passage, connecting the Garden Expo Park in the north to the Hutuo River green space in the south. This creates a continuous, inviting public open space for leisure and walking.
▲ South entrance hall
▲ North entrance hall
2. Flexible and efficient functional combinations: The building features a multi-level platform system ensuring that supply routes and pedestrian flows never intersect. Exhibition halls expand in a fishbone pattern along the central hub, grouped in twos or threes, enabling independent operation while maintaining overall continuity.
A separate 26,000-square-meter multifunctional hall accommodates exhibitions, conferences, performances, and other events. The Grand View Theater uses a flexible layout without fixed seating, with a few movable seats at the back, allowing division into 2–4 smaller halls as needed. Similarly, the 3,000-square-meter grand banquet hall can be partitioned into three independent spaces.
▲ Flow lines of platforms at different elevations
▲ Functional analysis
▲ Freight channel
▲ Multifunctional exhibition hall
▲ Conference hall
▲ Performance hall
3. Innovative suspension structures for large-span spaces: To meet the demands of vast open areas, suspension structures were employed, creating a rhythmic and continuous roof design. The seven standard exhibition halls utilize a rare two-way suspension system, saving approximately 50% of steel compared to traditional truss structures.
The roof undulates with staggered sections, featuring impressive spans: the main load-bearing structure spans up to 105 meters, while secondary structures reach 108 meters.
▲ Standard exhibition hall
▲ Inside the standard exhibition hall
▲ Structural details
▲ Standard exhibition hall section
▲ Suspension structure details
▲ Construction sequence of structures
4. Cultural reflection and local identity: The large roof created by the suspension structure makes a strong architectural statement. Inspired by the Xieshan roof style of the Moni Hall at Longxing Temple in Zhengding County, the design draws from traditional wall details, uniting geometric mechanics with architectural aesthetics through innovative materials and technologies. This enhances visitors’ recognition of the building’s local heritage.
▲ Roof
▲ Facade details
To ensure green and sustainable building performance, the project incorporated Green Samsung design standards from the planning phase onward, adopting strategies that consider the building’s entire lifecycle.
▲ Inside the South Entrance Hall
▲ Inside the North Entrance Hall
▲ Corridor
The Shijiazhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center was designed with thorough pre-planning and post-evaluation research to optimize spatial layout. The clever use of suspension structures significantly reduces steel consumption while expressing the unique characteristics of the Zhengding region through abstraction.
Guided by early green design objectives, the project has yielded significant social, economic, and environmental benefits since completion.
Design drawings:
▲ General layout plan
▲ First floor plan (BIM design)
▲ Second floor plan
▲ Elevation view
▲ Sectional view
Project Information:
Designer: THAD Tsinghua University Architectural Design and Research Institute
Location: Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, China
Category: Exhibition Center
Principal Architect: Zhuang Weimin
Design Team: Zhuang Weimin, Zhang Wei, Zhang Kui, Zhang Hong, Liang Zengxian, Zhang Yuben, Wang Yu, Wang Wei, Gong Jiazhen, Zhang Xiaoqian, Yu Hang, Li Pu, Li Xiangmao, Zhang Huaiping, Wu Xue, and others
Building Area: 359,000 square meters
Project Year: 2018
Photographer: Yao Li
Structural Engineers: Li Qingxiang, Li Binfei, Liu Peixiang, Chen Yujun, Li Yingjie, Tian Meng, and others
Electrical Engineers: Wang Lei, Cui Xiaogang, Guo Hongyan, Liu Lihong, Zhang Song, Xu Huiying, and others
HVAC Engineers: Jia Zhaokai, Han Jiabao, Zhao Tao, Ren Jiankai, Yu Lihua, and others
Water Supply and Drainage Engineers: Xu Qing, Liu Fuli, Ji Xinliang, and others
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