Haidong City Urban Planning Exhibition Hall: A Seamless Blend of History and Modern Architecture

Located at the southwest corner of the Nanliang Relics Park in Haidong, Qinghai Province, the Haidong City Urban Planning Exhibition Hall designed by CADG is a masterful integration of urban planning, historical preservation, and contemporary architectural design. Completed in 2022, the 25,000 m² exhibition hall serves multiple functions, including urban planning exhibitions, tourism reception, and the display of cultural relics, offering visitors an immersive experience at the heart of Haidong City.

Historical Context and Site Integration

The exhibition hall sits on the site of the ancient capital of the Nanliang Kingdom, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms, strategically positioned on the main axis of Ledu District. The surrounding Nanliang Relics Park, also designed by CADG, functions as Haidong’s “Central Park,” featuring a relics display area, citizen activity zones, underground commercial spaces, and the urban planning exhibition hall itself.

Guided by principles of historical protection and landscape sensitivity, the design minimizes above-ground structures, allowing the building to integrate naturally into the terrain. Inspired by the "root system" of local flora, CADG’s design concept embeds the exhibition hall into the earth, using excavated spaces, plank roads, stairs, and ramps to create a narrative journey through time. Visitors experience a sense of historical immersion, as if walking through layers of Haidong’s cultural past.

Architectural Concept: Horizontal, Vertical, and Spiritual Spaces

The hall’s design explores three fundamental architectural dimensions: standing on the earth, rising to the sky, and extending to the surroundings.

Horizontal Space: The main building comprises multiple square halls, inspired by the traditional Qinghai “Zhuangkuo” courtyards, flexibly stacked and rotated to form a geometric, abstract settlement. This layout reinforces a strong connection to regional architectural heritage while facilitating fluid circulation throughout the space.

Vertical Space: Sunken courtyards and staggered roof levels generate an organic verticality, allowing visitors to interact across multiple elevations. The experience creates a dynamic flow of activity, encouraging exploration and engagement with both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Spiritual Space: A striking viewing tower constructed from rusted perforated steel rises 20 meters above the underground exhibition halls, culminating in a transparent skylight. This element evokes the sensation of ascension, symbolically bridging the subterranean world of history with the sky above.

Materiality and Sustainability

Materials play a pivotal role in linking the exhibition hall to its environment. The exterior walls feature strip ceramic boards with textures reminiscent of rammed earth, harmonizing with local construction traditions. Meanwhile, pathways and public areas incorporate Huangshui Stone exposed aggregate, reflecting the rugged beauty of the plateau river valley. These material choices reinforce a tactile connection between visitors and the local landscape while promoting sustainability.

Scale, Sightlines, and Visitor Experience

The design carefully controls scale and sightlines. From street-level elevations, artificial walls remain below eye level, preserving open views and highlighting the historical context of the site. Plank roads, corridor bridges, and wall-like pathways guide visitors on a journey that traces the roots of the city, ascends to panoramic viewpoints, and navigates exhibition gardens. Each movement is deliberately choreographed to enhance engagement with both architecture and history.

Contemporary Regional Architecture in Practice

The Haidong City Urban Planning Exhibition Hall exemplifies contemporary regional architecture that respects history while embracing modern design strategies. By embedding the structure into the landscape, manipulating vertical and horizontal circulation, and carefully selecting locally resonant materials, CADG has created an urban landmark that embodies the spirit of Haidong: rooted in its past, reaching toward the future, and seamlessly integrated into its surroundings.

The Haidong City Urban Planning Exhibition Hall is more than a museum or exhibition space; it is a cultural gateway, offering an immersive, multi-dimensional experience. Through thoughtful design and sensitive site integration, the hall encourages visitors to explore the city’s history, appreciate its landscape, and connect with the evolving narrative of Haidong.

All photographs are works of  Ziling Wang