Skip to content

Zaha Hadid Architects

Your Starred Items

Archive Search
Studio
Your Starred Items

News

Three projects by ZHA shortlisted for AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards 2020

Three projects by Zaha Hadid Architects have been shortlisted for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) UK Chapter ‘Excellence in Design’ Awards 2020: Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing; Leeza SOHO, Beijing and Niederhafen River Promenade, Hamburg.

Established over 20 years ago, the awards recognise work of the highest standards by architects, industrial designers, urban planners, landscape architects and interior designers based in Britain.

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.

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 Niederhafen River Promenade in Hamburg by ZHA is integral to the modernisation and reinforcement of the city’s flood protection system and incorporates the city’s riverside walkway providing panoramic views of the Elbe and its historic port, reconnecting its river promenade with the surrounding urban fabric by creating links with adjacent neighbourhoods. Wide staircases resembling small amphitheatres are carved within the flood protection barrier at points where streets from the adjacent neighbourhoods meet the structure; giving passers-by at street level views of the people strolling along the promenade at the top of the barrier and views of the masts & superstructures of ships in the Elbe.

AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards 2020 shortlist