The Dishui Lake Conference Center is situated on the picturesque Dishui Beach South Island in Nanhui New City, Lingang New Area, Shanghai. It boasts nearly 50,000 square meters of garden green space. Nestled by the lake amid charming scenery, this venue serves as a key location for hosting high-profile international cultural events, conferences, forums, exhibitions, and performing arts activities within the Lingang New Area. Adjacent to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the design concept draws inspiration from floral motifs. The yacht club on the south side features a cohesive, leaf-like form. A critical design challenge was determining what conceptual structure would complement this “one flower, one leaf” base and seamlessly integrate into the South Island’s overall landscape without disruption.
The conference center occupies a prominent corner of Dishui Lake South Island, offering expansive views © DC International
Reflecting the architectural style of Dishui Lake South Island, the design introduces the concept of the “fruit of the South Island,” inspired by the building’s overall layout. Unlike previous concepts, this approach emphasizes the building’s fifth façade. Through an abstract “plump fruit” form, it complements the existing “one flower, one leaf” elements — represented by the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Yacht Club.
A bird’s-eye view of the Dishui Lake Conference Center shows the Crowne Plaza Hotel to the north and the Yacht Club to the south © Shanghai Lingang New City Hotel Investment Management Co., Ltd. Dishui Lake South Island Hotel
Across the lake, the South Island’s architecture presents a harmonious and unified style © DC International
Located adjacent to the lake and waterfront, the conference center’s design highlights the horizontal extension of the eaves, embodying a light and elegant façade typical of waterfront buildings. The building employs a spatial structural system where beams interlock in a diamond pattern. V-shaped columns with a cross-sectional profile rise like tree branches. These beam-columns extend upward from the exterior façade into the building’s interior, uniting structure and form, making the structure a key element of the façade.
△ View of the conference center along the lake © DC International
Viewed from the lake by boat, the elegant curves of the eaves are clearly visible © DC International
The main entrance features branching columns that split vertically, evoking tree branches growing upward © DC International
During the project’s development, the design team carefully optimized the structural column forms to meet construction timelines and structural requirements. They finalized a V-shaped upper and lower split beam-column node design. Integrated with a 15-meter-high ultra-white glass curtain wall, this design achieves the architect’s vision of “lightness” and “transparency.” From the lakeside, the building resembles an umbrella gently held by water.
△ Close-up of beam-column node details © DC International
In terms of landscaping, the design leverages existing grassy slopes to create natural height variations, allowing the building to blend seamlessly into the island’s surroundings. A VIP area is located on the east side’s second floor, overlooking the central landscape of Dishui Lake, making full use of the exceptional views.
△ View towards the yacht club © DC International
The conference center spans approximately 7,500 square meters. The main hall, situated at the building’s core, offers seating for 1,200 guests. The primary entrance is located on the north side, with visitor flow managed via the entrance plaza. The east side serves as an entry axis aligned with the landscape plaza. A lakeside VIP lounge on the south side provides a private, tranquil retreat. Logistics and service areas are positioned on the west side, where landscape features are less prominent. Beyond conference use, the flexible layout supports banquets, exhibitions, and various events.
The front hall of the venue rises 14 meters, featuring an integrated beam and column design © DC International
△ The front hall’s ceiling showcases diamond-shaped overlapping beams integrated with beam-columns, creating a unified structural and aesthetic form © DC International
△ Side hall of the venue © DC International
The conference hall interior design features water motifs, enhancing the sense of spatial flow and extension © DC International
The main hall accommodates 1,200 attendees, serving as a vital venue for high-level international cultural events in the Lingang New Area © DC International
Unlike the typically lengthy process from design to construction, the South Island Conference Center was completed in just five months, from conceptual design to operation. This presented a significant challenge for the design team. Despite the project’s moderate scale, the team thoroughly researched structural forms while meeting functional requirements within a tight schedule. The result is a seamless integration of function, form, and structure within the South Island environment — a meaningful achievement for the architects.
△ Beam-column nodes combined with floodlighting define the conference center’s nighttime silhouette © DC International
△ Night view of the conference center © DC International
△ Night view of Dishui Lake Conference Center: The South Island’s integrated lighting design, with the fifth façade complementing the overall architecture beautifully © Shanghai Lingang New City Hotel Investment Management Co., Ltd. Dishui Lake South Island Hotel
Project Drawings
△ General layout plan
△ First floor plan
△ Second floor plan
△ Third floor plan
△ Section diagram
△ Beam-column node diagram at elevation 0.00 m © DC International
△ Beam-column node diagram at elevation 9.5 m © DC International
△ Roof protruding node diagram © DC International
Project Information
Project Name: Dishui Lake Conference Center
Project Type: Architecture
Location: Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Design Firm: DC International C+D Design Center
Lead Architect: Dong Yi
Project Creator: Gaopan
Design Team: Gao Pan, Xiao Rong, Lu Chenkai, Yang Kaiyue
Owner: Shanghai Gangcheng Development (Group) Co., Ltd.
Status: Completed
Design Period: March 2020 – June 2020
Construction Period: September 2020
Land Area: 16,000 square meters
Building Area: 7,500 square meters
Construction Drawing Design: Shanghai Construction First Construction Group
Landscape Design: Suzhou Garden Development Co., Ltd.
Interior Design: Shanghai Construction First Construction Group
Photography: DC International, Shanghai Lingang New City Hotel Investment Management Co., Ltd. Dishui Lake South Island Hotel
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