Global architecture studio MAD has unveiled ZGC International Innovation Center in Beijing, which features a curving green roof with rippled overhangs. Located in the Haidian district, the 65,000-square-metre conference centre has an organic shape with rounded, petal-like corners that extend from the building envelope to shade outdoor public spaces. “The centre’s biomorphic, clover-like form features a cantilevered roof characterised by soft, fluid shapes. The form floats overhead, providing shade from the sun, shelter from the elements, and a space for social interaction, enhancing the connection between people and the architecture”, says MAD.
It is topped with a 17,000-square-metre roof park complete with trees and walkways, intended to blend the building in with the surrounding landscape. It blends into the cityscape with an accessible green roof park, consisting of trees, gardens, walkways, and architectural features that extend the surrounding gardens and hills, making it completely disappear when viewed from the surrounding mountains. The roof is made from concrete and honeycomb aluminium panels coated in fluorocarbon, with lighting placed under louvres to create a rippled pattern that snakes around the perimeter of the building. At night, lights hidden within the roof louvres synchronise with the roof lines and create a sense of movement, echoing the endless traffic on the city roads further blending into the urban landscape.
Inside, the building is designed to have a futuristic appearance while being open and airy, achieved partly with glazed curtain walls that follow the curving shape of the roof. The simplicity of the interior aims to create user-friendly spaces that enhance social interaction and promote engagement.
