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Shanghai Expo RÉN Building

RÉN Building: new hotel, sports and conference centre in China design by BIG architects

18 Oct 2008

RÉN building Shanghai Expo

Design: BIG architects

The RÉN building is a proposal for a hotel, sports and conference centre for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The building is conceived as two buildings merging into one.

The first building, emerging from the water, is devoted to the activities of the body, and houses the sports and water culture centre. The second building, emerging from land, is devoted to the spirit and enlightenment and houses the conference centre and meeting facilities. The two buildings meet in a 1,000 room hotel and form the Chinese character for the word “People”, becoming a recognizable landmark for the World Expo in China.

Together the two buildings become a tower and an arch at once. The arch creates a square for gatherings and activities, exactly on the main axis of the Expo site overlooking the Huang Pu River. The square is sheltered from the rain but allows the sunlight through, from east in the morning and from west in the evening.

Large curved plazas cover the pool and conference buildings, creating a continuous recreational public space along the river. Round openings and roof lights bring light to the auditoriums and pools and become gradually denser as they rise from the river, eventually becoming glittering windows and terraces for the hotel rooms.

RÉN building Shanghai World Expo 2010 – Building Information

Partner-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels
Collaborators: Julien De Smedt
Project Leader: Andreas Pedersen
Contributors: Andrew Griffen, Bo Benzon, Christian Dam, Damita Yu, David Zahle, Jakob Christensen, Jakob Lange, Jan Tanaka, Julie Schmidt-Nielsen, Karsten Hammer Hansen, Katrin Betschinger, Kristoffer Harling, Mia Frederiksen, Mia Scheel Kristensen, Nanna Gyldholm Møller, Narisara Ladawal, Sophus Søbye, Thomas Christoffersen

Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group
Project: People’s Building
Size Ren: 50,000 M2, Adjacent Buildings: 500,000 M2
Location: World Expo Site, Shanghai, China

RÉN building Shanghai images / information from BIG

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