Design Concept for Kaifeng Island Exhibition Centre

To improve the planning of the city of Kaifeng, an area for urban development has been identified to the west. The Exhibition Centre of this new urban zone would be a landmark located on a lake island.

Kaifeng, known locally as Bian, is a prefecture in Henan Province, China. Kaifeng means ‘opening up the border’ and has a rich history. It is one of the eight ancient capital cities of China.

The architectural concept for the Exhibition Centre is ‘a gateway to the city’. The building consists of two buildings with a visual corridor between the two. From the bridge, people will view the buildings like a city gate, with the skyline of the city visible in the distance. The sunken square in the centre of the buildings will offer many different experiences for visitors to enjoy.

One side of the facade symbolises the past, and the other symbolises the future. Its shape is derived from the Chinese character “开”. There is a ramp concealed within the facade that leads people into the buildings from the bridge.

A sightseeing tower serves as a vertical transport link to both buildings and connects to a conference and function hall that also interconnects the two buildings.