Heatherwick Studio has revealed the design of a new public exhibition hall in Shanghai. Named the ‘Orbit’ and located along the city’s West Bund waterfront, the scheme has been designed to be “seemingly accessible from 360 degrees.”
Outside, the center’s facade was designed to resemble a series of interwoven ribbons forming an undulating set of publicly accessible staircases, bridges, and terraces. The circulation elements allow visitors to navigate to the building’s rooftop garden, which contains multiple viewing platforms.
The ‘ribbon’ staircases also seek to echo the form of traditional Chinese moon bridges, translated to a contemporary form that makes the building “appear as if it is in constant motion.” Visitors ascending the structure can peer through glazed openings in the facade to glimpse the inner exhibition hall, while on the rooftop terrace, the ribbons unravel into an open-air canopy.
Inside, the site’s anchoring exhibition space is placed at the center, with ancillary functions located above. A second perimeter gallery wraps around the main hall at ground level and connects the building to the surrounding streetscape.
“This is an exhibition hall designed to be explored and experienced,” said Heatherwick Studio Group Leader Neil Hubbard about the project. “Rather than merely boxing up a gallery within an ornamental façade, the ‘Orbit’s’ appearance will be animated by the people who visit it. Its location on the bend of the river means it can be a real beacon for the area, drawing people in not just for the events it hosts but the whole of Shanghai West Bund.”
News of the development comes weeks after Heatherwick Studio detailed progress on their Toranomon-Azabudai district in Tokyo. In April, the firm was selected alongside BARCODE to deliver a net-zero mixed-use scheme in Utrecht, while in March, the firm unveiled its first commissioned public library project, to be built in Howard County, Maryland.
6 Comments
I wonder if Heatherwick's buildings will age poorly a few decades down the road.
I actually like this. Did I just taste barf? help.
Upside-down Vessel?
Just about any architecture is interesting without the right angle, plans and sections of the classic kinds.
You know the term "seeing stars"? That's what I see when I look at this building. A cartoon of being dizzy.
softie + turd + turban
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