Morphosis Unveils Stunning Yangtze River Conference Center in Nanjing, China

Morphosis, an international architecture and design firm based in Los Angeles, has announced the completion and opening of the Yangtze River International Conference Center in Nanjing Jiangbei New District, China. The centre is a flagship project for the new district and was designed to embody a charter for sustainable and ecologically-sensitive development. The 36,000 square meter complex includes a conference space and a tower with a four-star hotel featuring 340 rooms, providing scenic views of the Yangtze River. The building takes inspiration from the river that provides one of the most important arterial connections across China and has shaped human development in the region throughout history.

Morphosis Partner Eui-Sung Yi said, "The Yangtze International Conference Center is our second project to open in China this year, following Hanking Center in Shenzhen, but each responds to the spirit of its city. As Nanjing continues to grow into a hub of international business for China, the convention centre will become an important national anchor to host local and international events." The design of the building reflects the significance of the centre as the transitioning icon for the westward expansion of Nanjing across the Yangtze River.

The immense program area of the convention centre contains a series of flexible conference spaces bisected by a central 200-meter arcade, dividing the building into a north and south wing. The arcade serves as the primary circulation spine for the building, intersected by short, perpendicular bridges providing access from VIP entrances and the hotel tower. Bringing visitors to the arcade, the convention centre's grand, formal entrance and atrium are illuminated by a skylight, highlighting the hotel tower.

The building's podium takes inspiration from the flowing curves of the Yangtze River, with undulating shapes that reflect sunlight playing on the water's surface. The hotel tower, rising above the podium, evokes the sail of a traditional wind-powered river boat once common on the Yangtze. The hotel tower's façade utilizes a metal brise-soleil system that shades the building during the day, increasing energy efficiency, while at night, lighting integrated into the façade creates a distinctive night-time presence within the city.

On the riverside, to the south, the building's façade mirrors the organic nature of the river's edge, with a rippling metal and glass brise-soleil comprised of over 90,000 distinct metallic panels. The overall landscape follows a "sponge landscape" principle, strengthening ecological infrastructure by aiding in the responsible management of runoff, which is especially important to the riverside site. The high-performance facades and environmentally conscious landscape design contribute to the building's "3-Star rating," the highest sustainable design grade recognized by China's national green building standard.

The Yangtze River International Conference Center is an important addition to Nanjing's growing status as a hub of international business for China. The building's design takes inspiration from the river that has shaped human development in the region throughout history, while its sustainable and ecologically-sensitive development charter demonstrates a commitment to responsible management of the region's natural resources. The building's multi-use complex will become an important national anchor to host local and international events, contributing to the region's continued growth and development.

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Cover Image: Courtesy of 田方方 Tian Fangfang

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