Global Architecture Firm MAD has recently introduced its newest design—ZGC International Innovation Center in Beijing, featuring a curved green roof with wave-like eaves. Located in the Haidian district, this 65,000-square-meter conference center is designed organically and integrated into contemporary and natural backgrounds.
Architectural Design and Features
The ZGC International Innovation Center accommodates the Zhongguancun or ZGC Forum technology event and has a distinctive biomorphic cloverleaf shape. The cantilevered roof characterizes this structure, where soft, fluid shapes float above the ground to offer shade, shelter, and social zones. These creative features help to create relations between people and buildings and to provide comfortable conditions for the attendees.
The center's most eye-catching aspect is the facility's enormous green roof measuring seventeen thousand square meters. This grossed-up greenery and pathways of trees, gardens, and walkways continue the adjacent gardens and hills, thus merging the building with the natural ambiance. From the vantage point of the nearby mountains, the structure blends right into the landscape and barely shows as if it is not there at all. Such integration reinforces the vision of MAD, which aims to design structures in sync with this nature.
The roof is constructed from concrete and honeycomb aluminum panels coated in fluorocarbon, with strategically placed lighting under louvers. These lights form a rippling pattern that snakes around the building's perimeter, creating a dynamic visual effect synchronizing with the city's rhythm. At night, the illuminated roof echoes the movement of the city's traffic, further blending the building into the urban landscape.
(Photo: MAD Architects / Arch Exist )
Interior Design
Inside, the ZGC International Innovation Center combines futuristic design with functionality. It has a glazed curtain wall encompassing the interior space and some curves similar to those of the roofing system. This design choice represents the aesthetic approach to constructing a building envelope and fosters interactions between people who use it. The design of the interior spaces is flexible to make them functional, helping create an environment conducive to networking and working together.
(Photo: MAD Architects / Arch Exist )
Event and Meeting Spaces
For various events, guests can use the main hall, a banquet hall, and a multifunctional hall, all situated at the first-floor level. Offices for meetings and relaxation areas are located in the basement; however, some of the basement is covered by two ETFE membrane skylights and a sunken courtyard. It also guarantees that all the building sections, right from the lower levels, are well-lit to receive visitors.
In summary, MAD's ZGC International Innovation Center in Beijing is a remarkable fusion of innovative design and environmental harmony. Its distinctive curving green roof and organic form seamlessly integrate with the natural landscape, while the user-friendly and futuristic interior spaces foster social interaction and engagement. This architectural marvel serves as a premier venue for technology conferences. It exemplifies how modern architecture can blend functionality with aesthetic beauty, creating a dynamic and inspiring user environment.
