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Five projects by ZHA shortlisted for World Architecture Festival 2021

Five projects by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) are shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Award 2021; Leeza SOHO, Beijing in the ‘Completed Building – Office’ category; One Thousand Museum, Miami in the ‘Completed Building – Housing’ category; Niederhafen River Promenade, Hamburg in the ‘Urban Context - Landscape’ category; Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing in the ‘Completed Building – Transport’ category; and the Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah in the ‘Completed Building – Sport category.

The World Architecture Festival is dedicated to celebrating, sharing and inspiring outstanding architecture, with the WAF Awards at the heart of the festival.

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.

One Thousand Museum’s 62-storey concrete exoskeleton - a web of flowing lines integrating structural support with lateral bracing – reads 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. “The design expresses a fluidity that is both structural and architectural,” explains project director Chris Lepine. “The structure gets thicker and thinner as required, bringing a continuity between the architecture and engineering.” The design incorporates GFRC form-work which remains in place as construction progresses up the tower. This permanent concrete form-work also provides the architectural finish that requires minimal maintenance. Behind the exoskeleton, the faceted, crystal-like façade contrasts with the solidity of the structure. With its frame at the perimeter, the tower’s interior floor plates are almost column free; the exoskeleton’s curvature creating slightly different plans on each floor. On the lower floors, terraces cantilever from the corners, while on the upper floors, the terraces are incorporated behind the structure.

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.

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 Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar was inaugurated in May 2019 by hosting the 2019 Amir Cup Final. The first new venue commissioned for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the stadium incorporates an operable roof to shade the field of play. Passive design principles along with detailed computer modelling and wind tunnel testing were employed to maximise the effectiveness of the enclosure for player and spectator comfort. Reflecting Al Wakrah’s maritime heritage, the stadium’s design incorporates local cultural references combined with practical responses to climate, context & functional requirements. Al Janoub’s 40,000 seating capacity for the World Cup will be reduced to 20,000 seats after 2022 - optimum capacity as home ground to the local Al Wakrah Sport Club professional team.

World Architecture Festival Shortlist 2021