The city of Sanya in Hainan, China, has selected Zaha Hadid Architects as the winner of the competition for the design of the city’s new harborside cultural district. The new development, measuring a total of 409,000 square meters of built area, aims to become a central location for Sanya’s cultural life, providing diverse programming for performing arts, theater, exhibition galleries, conferences, and commercial trade fairs. The fluid shape of the buildings creates a transition from the tropical waters of Sanya Bay to the urban fabric of the city, with a central axis dividing the layered roofs that feather outwards and dematerialize the architectural volume.
The new district will be located at the entrance of Sanya’s harbor, with connections to the automobile and tram networks connecting it to the residential and hotel districts of the city. The image of the development is defined by the central axis, which also defines the internal functional distribution, with one side dedicated to performing arts and exhibitions and the other to commercial programming for conferences and fair trades. Between the two facilities, a public square opens views towards the harbor.
The layered roof structure, inspired by the movement of sails in the sea breeze, cascades from the central axis and frames the entrance lobbies of the performing arts theater and conference center. The volumetric composition opens towards the harbor with layers of public terraces featuring panoramic views of the water. Public plazas, gardens, marinas, and a harborside boardwalk are also integrated into the design. The district’s diverse program is completed with city-center residences, hotels, shopping and dining amenities.
Given Hainan’s tropical climate marked by monsoons, the cultural district’s design takes into consideration the natural factors to adjust the orientation, composition, and landscaping to optimize natural ventilation and sunlight. The architecture incorporates low-carbon design, procurement, construction, and operational strategies, including photovoltaics and rainwater collection systems embedded within the larger roof areas. Overhanging eaves are provided to shelter the interior and the outdoor public terraces, while a central plant employs seawater heat exchangers for cooling. Shading, lighting, and ventilation will be optimized using a smart building management system, while local and recycled materials will be prioritized according to the architects, including timber cladding sourced from certified sustainable forests.
Recently, Zaha Hadid Architects completed the Hollywood-inspired “Studio City” Resorts in Macau. The office has also been commissioned to design the high-tech Daxia Tower in the Technological Development Zone of Xi’an, one of China’s largest inland cities. Earlier this year, the Zaha Hadid Architect-designed Business Stadium Central was granted approval by the City of Vilnius, Lithuania, while the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum is currently under construction, planned to open in time to host the Worldcon 2023, the world's largest science fiction event.
Project Credits:
- Client: People’s Government of Sanya City Consultants
- Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
- ZHA Design: Patrik Schumacher
- ZHA Competition Project Directors: Nils Fischer, Lei Zheng, Jakub Klaska
- ZHA Competition Project Architects: Chun-Yen Chen, Matthew Gabe
- ZHA Competition Team: Shajay Bhooshan, Joshua Anderson, Vishu Bhooshan, Daniel Boran, Chun-Yen Chen, Hung-Da Chien, Nils Fischer, Matthew Gabe, Charles Harris, Jinqi Huang, Yen-Fen Huang, Ivan Hewitt, Jakub Klaska, Hannah Kopeliovitch Simmons, Henry Louth, Sonia Magdziarz, Patrik Schumacher, Svenja Siever, Tul Srisompun, Yaobin Wang, Yutong Xia, Simon Yu, Lei Zheng, Han Hsun Hsieh
- Executive Architects, Local Architects, Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyor, M&E Engineering, MEP, Organization Fire Engineer: Arcplus Institute of Shanghai Architectural Design & Research
- Transport Consultant: Parking Management
- Landscape Consultant: ZHA Lighting Design: ZHA Acoustic
- Consultant: Cundall Theatre Consultant: Cundall Theatre
- Management Consultants: Cundall Theatre Equipment
- Consultants: Cundall Site Surveyor: Arcplus Institute of Shanghai Architectural Design & Research
- Signage Design: SHIYU Urban Signage Planning and Design
