STAY IN TOUCH

Be the first to receive our latest newsletters, updates and invitations to events.


Please submit email to unsubscribe.

<P>This exhibition complex comprises two startling multi-use buildings on Guangzhou's Pazhou Island, the site of one of the largest exhibition centres in the world. The two buildings of the complex share a common aesthetic: a big, sprawling, assemblage of giant boxes serving as the bases for an ad hoc collection of very long narrow boxes, shaped somewhat like old fashioned wooden pencil cases, of random lengths stacked loosely on top of each other. </p>

<p>The brief called for a complex which was 'unique and iconic, to present a strong identity within its surroundings and to stand out among its competing neighbours.'</p>

<P>This was no formulaic ambition for the new exhibition spaces would be likely to be competing commercially with the existing extremely well established venues on the island.

<P>One building, the commercial showcase complex has vast exhibition spaces in its base with commercial offices above. The other, the commercial, hospitality and exhibition complex has a more conventional three level exhibition building plus a double height mass entertainment floor surmounted by a 500-room luxury hotel, the Langham Place, Guangzhou, which, externally, is also a collection of strewn elongated boxes.</p>

<P>In both buildings there is a marked visual disconnection between base and superstructure although the generic overall building arrangement, especially the idiosyncratic upper sections, link the two buildings together. This largely solved the problem of creating a single image for the two buildings, 160 metres apart and separated by an existing building. The great deal of effort expended in working out how best to achieve this has been worth it. It is partly to do with the formation of the strewn elongated boxes, appearing as convex shape in the case of the hotel, concave in the case of the offices, and their unexpected and similar appearance.</p>

<P>The Langham Place, Guangzhou is organised as an open rectangle with 15 floors of conventional hotel rooms ranged along the long sides of a big central atrium.</p>

<P>Lifts, fire stairs and services are at each end. The effect from outside is of the casually arranged stack of box-like forms whose disposition roughly follows the internal arrangement of the hotel rooms. The hotel lobby is 4 levels above the unassuming ground level entrance. This is a deliberately dramatic space with heavy diagonal props providing theatrical but real support for the 15 floors above which are all visible here at the bottom of the open rectangle. Below in the podium are two floors of exhibition space and above that a high-ceilinged group of enormous rooms which can be subdivided in a variety of configurations for events such as weddings. Below ground are two loading and parking levels.</p>

<P>The office building is of similar height, 123 metres, and has the same irregular formation of casually strewn boxes though the interiors are conventional enough working offices. The office podium below spreads out away from the perimeter of the offices and although the exterior is carved up into a number of discrete giant boxes their outward ends replaced by glass walls.</p>

English
Feature Project (tick if this is a featured project): 
Project Status (Required for project creation): 
Services (Required for project creation) : 
Location (Required for project creation): 
Thumbnail (Required for project creation) (Image size 450 x 365): 
Location Text (Required for project creation) : 
Guangzhou / PRC
Images: 
Hover Image (Required for project creation) (Image size 450 x 365): 
Background Image (Required for project creation)(Landscape Image size 2052x1410) (Portrait Image Size 675x900): 
Image Blocks 1: 
Image: 
Is Quota: 
0
Image: 
Is Quota: 
0
Image: 
Is Quota: 
0
Completion Year (Required for Project Creation) if applicable: 
2013
Url Alias: 
nanfung-commercial-hospitality-exhibition-complex
Project Info (Required for project creation): 
Label En: 
Completion year
Value En: 
2013
Label En: 
Gross area of the entire development
Value En: 
159,000 sq m
Location Text Sort: 
Guangzhou / PRC
Awards (Required for project creation) (if applicable) : 
Description: 
Nominated Award, Hotels
Title: 
HKIA Cross-strait Architectural Design Awards 2015
Description: 
Finalist, Commercial Building Outside Hong Kong
Title: 
The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Annual Awards 2014
Description: 
Bronze, Best Mixed-use Development</br>Silver, Best Hotel & Tourism Development
Title: 
MIPIM Asia Awards 2014
Description: 
Certificate of Excellence, Architecture (Professional) Mixed-Use
Title: 
A&D Trophy Awards 2014
Description: 
Finalist, Best Public Use Project
Title: 
Blueprint Awards 2014
Description: 
Winner
Title: 
The Chicago Athenaeum, International Architecture Awards 2014
Description: 
Winner, Built Mixed Use Project Award
Title: 
Cityscape Awards for Architecture in Emerging Markets 2014
Description: 
Finalist, Completed Hotel and Leisure
Title: 
World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2014
Description: 
Winner, Commercial & Mixed-use Building, Greater China
Title: 
SCMP Chivas 18 Architecture and Design Awards 2014
Description: 
World’s Top 10 Skyscrapers
Title: 
Emporis Skyscraper Award 2013
Description: 
Golden Winner, Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Title: 
A' Design Awards 2013 - 2014
Description: 
Winner, Mixed Use
Title: 
CIHAF Design China Award 2013
Description: 
Silver Award, Commercial: Shopping Centre
Title: 
HKIA Cross-strait Architectural Design Awards 2013
Description: 
Finalist, Commerical Projects Outside Hong Kong
Title: 
The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Annual Awards 2012
Description: 
Gold Award, Best Design Award
Title: 
China’s Outstanding Architectural Design & Planning Award 2011
Description: 
Winner, Leisure Future Projects <br/> Finalist, Commercial / Mixed use Future Projects
Title: 
Cityscape Awards for Architecture in Emerging Markets 2011
Description: 
Highly Commended, Mixed use Architecture Award, China
Title: 
Asia Pacific Commercial Property Awards 2010
Description: 
Finalist, Future Projects / Commercial
Title: 
World Architecture Festival 2009
Feature Project What we do: 
Feature Project Discipline: 
Text Description: 
display: 
Image En: 
Label En: 
Location
Title Sc: 
Location
Hero Banner Style: 
Landscape
Non Top 100: 
What we do / Architecture / Mixed use / Xihongmen Mixed-use Development, Da Xing District
Nanfung Commercial, Hospitality and Exhibition Complex
Guangzhou / PRC
Completion year
2013
Gross area of the entire development
159,000 sq m
Location
Location
Location

This exhibition complex comprises two startling multi-use buildings on Guangzhou's Pazhou Island, the site of one of the largest exhibition centres in the world. The two buildings of the complex share a common aesthetic: a big, sprawling, assemblage of giant boxes serving as the bases for an ad hoc collection of very long narrow boxes, shaped somewhat like old fashioned wooden pencil cases, of random lengths stacked loosely on top of each other.

The brief called for a complex which was 'unique and iconic, to present a strong identity within its surroundings and to stand out among its competing neighbours.'

This was no formulaic ambition for the new exhibition spaces would be likely to be competing commercially with the existing extremely well established venues on the island.

One building, the commercial showcase complex has vast exhibition spaces in its base with commercial offices above. The other, the commercial, hospitality and exhibition complex has a more conventional three level exhibition building plus a double height mass entertainment floor surmounted by a 500-room luxury hotel, the Langham Place, Guangzhou, which, externally, is also a collection of strewn elongated boxes.

In both buildings there is a marked visual disconnection between base and superstructure although the generic overall building arrangement, especially the idiosyncratic upper sections, link the two buildings together. This largely solved the problem of creating a single image for the two buildings, 160 metres apart and separated by an existing building. The great deal of effort expended in working out how best to achieve this has been worth it. It is partly to do with the formation of the strewn elongated boxes, appearing as convex shape in the case of the hotel, concave in the case of the offices, and their unexpected and similar appearance.

The Langham Place, Guangzhou is organised as an open rectangle with 15 floors of conventional hotel rooms ranged along the long sides of a big central atrium.

Lifts, fire stairs and services are at each end. The effect from outside is of the casually arranged stack of box-like forms whose disposition roughly follows the internal arrangement of the hotel rooms. The hotel lobby is 4 levels above the unassuming ground level entrance. This is a deliberately dramatic space with heavy diagonal props providing theatrical but real support for the 15 floors above which are all visible here at the bottom of the open rectangle. Below in the podium are two floors of exhibition space and above that a high-ceilinged group of enormous rooms which can be subdivided in a variety of configurations for events such as weddings. Below ground are two loading and parking levels.

The office building is of similar height, 123 metres, and has the same irregular formation of casually strewn boxes though the interiors are conventional enough working offices. The office podium below spreads out away from the perimeter of the offices and although the exterior is carved up into a number of discrete giant boxes their outward ends replaced by glass walls.

Winning Awards
2015
Nominated Award, Hotels
Finalist, Commercial Building Outside Hong Kong
2012
Finalist, Commerical Projects Outside Hong Kong
2011
Gold Award, Best Design Award
Winner, Leisure Future Projects
Finalist, Commercial / Mixed use Future Projects
2010
Highly Commended, Mixed use Architecture Award, China
2009
Finalist, Future Projects / Commercial
What we do / Architecture / Mixed use / Xihongmen Mixed-use Development, Da Xing District
Next Project
Nanfung Commercial, Hospitality and Exhibition Complex
What we do / Architecture / Mixed use / Xihongmen Mixed-use Development, Da Xing District
View Our Projects