'The Flowering Mountain' - We did not have to search very far to find design inspiration for the new Xinjiang International Exhibition & Conference Center. There is immense beauty and power in the Tian Shan mountains presence. Our design team was equally captivated by the vibrancy and the splendor of the flowers coating the hills of the mountains. Of special interest to us was the snow lotus flower with its delicacy and the folklore associated with it particular to this region. Additional natural amenities like a nearby body of water called the Heavenly Lake also contributed to our inspiration. In these natural elements, we found poetry in nature through the dynamic balance between the permanence and stability of the mountains juxtaposed with the fleeting beauty of the snow lotus. These three elements, 'Tian Shan Mountain, Snow Lotus, and the Heavenly Lake' formed the basis for our design concept.
We imagined the roof mass of the exhibition halls in abstract to invoke the beauty of the Tian Shan Mountains. Their mass sculpted by the prevailing winds. Below the roofs, and reminiscent of the vibrant color and delicacy of the flowering fields, our prefunction spaces appear more sinuous an organic in form linking the halls and culminating in the conference center's Snow Lotus inspired form.
Xinjiang, Urumqi, China
Xinjiang Urumqi Municipal Government
Master Plan, Exhibition / Conf Center
2 million sf in 2 phases
Exhibition Halls, Conferencing Facilities,
Prefunction Area, Food/ Dining/ Servery,
600 seat Auditorium, & below grade parking
Master Planning, Architecture,
Landscape Architecture Design
LITTLE
R. F. Chiriboga Project Leadership while employed
as Partner | Design Director at LITTLE
Mahan Rykiel, Skyscraper3d Digital
Awarded 1st prize in International Competition
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