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Six projects by ZHA/ZHD shortlisted for Blueprint Awards 2020

Six projects by Zaha Hadid Architects and Zaha Hadid Design has been shortlisted for the Blueprint Awards 2020: Leeza SOHO, Beijing in the Best Non-Public Project (Commercial) category; One Thousand Museum, Miami in the Best Non-Public Project (Residential) category; Opus, Dubai in the Best Public-Use Project (Privately Funded) category; Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing in the Best Public-Use Project (With Public Funding) category; Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Arts Centre, Changsha also in the Best Public-Use Project (With Public Funding) category; and Plex Vessel in the Best Product Design category.

Leeza SOHO’s Beijing site is diagonally dissected by an underground subway service tunnel at the intersection of five new lines currently under construction on Beijing’s Subway network. Straddling this tunnel, the tower’s design divides its volume into two halves enclosed by a single facade. The space between these two halves extends the full height of the tower, creating the world’s tallest atrium at 194m which rotates as the tower rises to realign the upper floors with Lize road to the north.

The 62-storey One Thousand Museum residential tower’s concrete exoskeleton - a web of flowing lines integrating structural support with lateral bracing - continues Zaha Hadid Architects’ research into high-rise construction that defines a fluid architectural expression consistent with the engineering for the entire height of a structure. Reading from top to bottom as one continuous frame, columns at its base fan out as the tower rises to meet at the corners, forming a rigid tube highly resistant to Miami’s demanding wind loads; its curved supports creating hurricane resistant diagonal bracketing.

Located in the Burj Khalifa district adjacent to Downtown Dubai and Business Bay on the Dubai Water Canal, the Opus explores the balance between solid and void, opaque and transparent, interior and exterior. Designed as two separate towers that coalesce into a singular whole, the Opus takes the form of a cube. The cube has been ‘eroded’ in its centre, creating a free-form void that is an important volume of the design in its own right. The two halves of the building on either side of the void are linked by a four-storey atrium at ground level and also connected by an asymmetric 38 metre wide, three-storey bridge 71 metres above the ground. The precise orthogonal geometries of the Opus’ elemental glass cube contrast dramatically with the fluidity of the eight-storey void at its centre.

Beijing Daxing International Airport is 46km south of the city (20 mins by express train). Its 700,000m² passenger terminal includes a ground transportation centre offering direct connections with the national high-speed rail network and local train services. Echoing principles within traditional Chinese architecture that organise interconnected spaces around a central courtyard, the design guides all passengers seamlessly through the relevant departure, arrival or transfer zones towards the courtyard at its centre. 6 flowing forms within the terminal’s vaulted roof reach to the ground to support the structure and bring natural light within, directing all passengers towards the central court. Linear skylights provide an intuitive system of navigation throughout the building, guiding passengers to and from their departure gates.

The Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre’s organic architectural language is defined by pedestrian routes that weave through the site to connect with neighbouring streets. Providing views of the adjacent Meixi Lake from the city and giving access to the parks and walking trails on Festival Island, this ensemble of three separate institutions is the largest cultural centre in Hunan province and connects directly with its station on Line 2 of Changsha’s new Metro System.

First presented at Maison & Objet in January 2020, the Plex Vessel by Zaha Hadid Design has been conceived as a multi-use object; the refined wave-like gesture belies the complexity of its design.

Comprised of two elements, the vessel in crystal can be stacked vertically to conceal its contents or separated into parts that nest together.

Blueprint Awards 2020 shortlist announcement