MAD Architects has unveiled its design for the Jiaxing Civic Center. Led by Ma Yansong, this is the firm’s latest major public project in Jiaxing since the unveiling of the Jiaxing Train Station earlier this year. 

The Jiaxing Civic Center is situated along the city’s central axis, taking advantage of the river views and the lush vegetation that surrounds the area. The project has a significant position, sitting adjacent to the South Lake, a historic lake in the South of Jiaxing, and the Central Park, the largest park in the city. Spanning nearly 130,000 square meters, the site contains three venues: the Science and Technology Museum, the Women and Children Activity Center, and the Youth Activity Center. 

For this project, MAD Architects has envisioned an artistic entity on an urban scale, where architectural forms and landscapes coalesce. The civic center is at once open and intimate. With its large circular lawn as the centerpiece, both people and the buildings can interact and share. Additionally, the lawn allows the flowing structure to subtly dissipate into the landscape. 

The center’s three venues are linked together by an undulating, circular roof, which is made from locally produced white ceramic panels. They are inspired by the traditional barrel tile roofs of the local village, and they also enhance the project’s economic and energy efficiency. The organic flow of the lines that adorn the covering, likened to a tarp blowing in the wind, make reference to the softness and grace of the ancient canal towns along the southern banks of the Yangtze River in Eastern China. 

To maintain cohesion, the three venues are specially arranged under the roof, which naturally forms a flowing line of movement. They are organically weaved together to compliment one another. The civic center avoids the duplication of service spaces, which opens up more space for people and nature, as well as enhances the building’s energy-saving qualities. 

The 6,000-square-meter central lawn will also double as an open-air plaza for events. This, along with the remainder of the center’s first level, will have pathways to the outside area on all sides, forming a seamless connection between the civic center’s interior and the public. Moving upwards, the terrace on the second floor forms a 350-meter-long landscape corridor and running path that leads to a sunken plaza and amphitheater. 

The original trees on the site have been preserved as much as possible and have helped inform the design of the landscape to form a new natural park. Winding paths and passages through the enclosed buildings allow visitors to walk through the trees and enjoy the surrounding scenery. Finally, a series of cascading terraces feature within the curved roof that blur the interior and exterior spaces through minimalist floor-to-ceiling glass walls. These indoor-outdoor spaces act in accordance to the civic center’s free-flowing, open nature. 

The Jiaxing Civic Center has completed its bidding for engineering procurement construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.