The Jiaxing Nanhu Future Plaza, designed by MAD Architecture Firm, is progressing steadily in its construction. The design process began in 2019, with the mesh shell project completed by the end of 2023. Currently, work on the curtain wall is underway.
Situated along the city’s central axis and adjacent to Nanhu, Jiaxing Nanhu Future Plaza encompasses three venues dedicated to science, culture, and commerce. The project spans nearly 130,000 square meters of land, with a total construction area of 180,000 square meters—72,000 square meters of which are above ground.
MAD’s vision is to create a city garden living room—a welcoming space for everyone to visit, linger, and connect. By exploring the integration of city, nature, and culture, the design enables the buildings to interact with the urban environment and citizens’ daily lives, beyond their functional roles.
The three venues are seamlessly connected under a white ceramic circular roof, forming a unified structure. At its core lies a 6,000-square-meter circular lawn that serves as a public gathering, relaxation, and recreation space for the community.
The roof shell features a large-span, irregular spatial steel arch system, with spans ranging from a minimum of about 23.9 meters to a maximum of approximately 100 meters. This design provides extensive column-free interior spaces beneath.
The organic roof creates a continuous, undulating skyline. Over 550,000 white ceramic tiles are meticulously arranged to follow the roof’s curves, echoing the traditional tube tile roofs of Nanshui Township and giving the building a graceful, dynamic appearance.
Beneath the white ceramic roof, the complex houses exhibition spaces, theaters, educational facilities, event venues, interactive entertainment areas, and more, all gradually stepping back toward the central lawn. The building’s main structure overlaps with the roof, creating multiple urban grey spaces.
A 350-meter-long landscape corridor and running track on the second floor connect visitors to the central green space, an open-air theater on the east side, and a sunken plaza—offering residents a peaceful retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle.
The versatile indoor spaces are complemented by a palette of pure white and warm wood tones. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls blur the boundary between interior and exterior, while natural light filters through irregular skylights and grilles, casting rhythmic shadows throughout the areas.
The roofs at Jiaxing Nanhu Future Plaza consist of complex, irregular curved surfaces, featuring nearly a thousand different connection types between curtain wall systems. To achieve a smooth and continuous ceramic panel surface, the design team collaborated closely with curtain wall consultants and construction experts.
Using BIM parameterization technology and on-site visual samples, they optimized the layout and node structures of the ceramic panels and their supporting framework. This approach simplified installation while enhancing precision.
The Jiaxing Nanhu Future Plaza is now entering the phase of curtain wall closure and waterproofing construction.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Type: Public Cultural Architecture
Floor Area: 126,740 square meters
Building Area: Approximately 180,000 square meters
Ground Floor Area: 72,351 square meters
Underground Building Area: 107,950 square meters
Building Height: 37.1 meters
Lead Partners: Ma Yansong, Party Masses, Yokosuke Hayano
Vice Partners in Charge: Fu Changrui, Li Jian, Liu Huiying
Design Team: He Xiaowen, Yin Jianfeng, Chen Xiang Chao, He Yiming, Fabio Mario Rivera Montano, Chen Hao, Alessandro Fisali, Xue Yawen, Wu Aoqian, Long Teng, Guo Changda, Guo Xuan, Zhang Yaohui, Sheik Thoufeeq Ahamed, Shen Meng, Claudia Hertrich, Li Yingzhou, Edgar Navarrete Sanchez, Fu Xiaoyi, Haruka Tomoeda, Jacob Yao HU, Alan Rodríguez Carrillo, Chen Nianhai, Luis Torres, Li Cunhao, Piyanat Songkhroh, Deng Wei, Zhang Xiaomei
Owner: Jiaxing High-grade Highway Investment Co., Ltd.
Architectural Design: MAD Architecture Firm
Class A Design Institutes: East China Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.
Interior Design: MAD Architecture Firm, Shanghai Modern Architectural Decoration Environment Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Landscape Design: MAD Architecture Firm, Pan Asia International Landscape Design Co., Ltd., Beijing Yunhai Tiancheng Landscape Design Consulting Co., Ltd.
Curtain Wall Consultant: Afa Architectural Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Building Decoration Engineering Group Co., Ltd.
Identification Consultant: Japan Design Center, Chengdian (Shanghai) Architectural Design Consulting Co., Ltd.
Lighting Consultants: Beijing Ningzhijing Lighting Design Co., Ltd., Shanghai Modern Building Decoration Environment Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Acoustic Consultant: Shanghai Zhangkuisheng Acoustic Engineering Consultant Co., Ltd.
Transportation Consultants: Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd., China Academy of Building Design and Research Co., Ltd.
Photography: Ye Jianyuan, Mu Feng minor 0573
Video: Who is He Culture
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