Citizens exercising, roaming and resting on the roof. Image © Lianping Mao

市民们在屋顶上锻炼、漫游和休息。形象(连平茂)

架构师提供的文本描述。该项目位于特色城镇的发祥地-杭州的云镇。为了积极地拥抱想象力，一个曾经未完成的工业园现在已经成为云计算、大数据和人工智能的工业中心。每年秋季举行的“计算机大会”已成为最大规模的科技盛会。奇怪的是，会议在户外举行了几年，仅仅是因为可供使用的场地“不当”。当然，“不当行为”并不意味着这些场馆在规模或级别上处于劣势，只是会议创办人不希望人们的想象力受到场地的限制。因此，作为展览中心的设计者，我们打算摆脱过去的经验和“创造的欲望”，从源头上思考和突破，而不是在这片土地上再建一个普通的展览中心。

Text description provided by the architects. The project lies in the birthland of characteristic towns——Cloud Town, Hangzhou. For actively embracing imagination, a once unfinished industrial park has now become the industrial hub of cloud computing, big-data and artificial intelligence. The ‘Computing Conference’ held in autumn every year has become the largest-scale scientific and technological fiesta. Oddly enough, the conference was held outdoors several years in a roll simply because of the ‘impropriety’ of available venues. Of course, by no means does ‘impropriety’ suggest those venues were inferior in terms of size or grade, it’s just that the conference founders didn’t want to see people’s imagination being constrained by a venue. Therefore, as the designers of the exhibition center, we intended to break away from past experience and the ‘desire to create’, contemplating and making breakthroughs from its origin instead of constructing yet another generic exhibition center on this land.

Text description provided by the architects. The project lies in the birthland of characteristic towns——Cloud Town, Hangzhou. For actively embracing imagination, a once unfinished industrial park has now become the industrial hub of cloud computing, big-data and artificial intelligence. The ‘Computing Conference’ held in autumn every year has become the largest-scale scientific and technological fiesta. Oddly enough, the conference was held outdoors several years in a roll simply because of the ‘impropriety’ of available venues. Of course, by no means does ‘impropriety’ suggest those venues were inferior in terms of size or grade, it’s just that the conference founders didn’t want to see people’s imagination being constrained by a venue. Therefore, as the designers of the exhibition center, we intended to break away from past experience and the ‘desire to create’, contemplating and making breakthroughs from its origin instead of constructing yet another generic exhibition center on this land.

从本质上说，会展中心是城市公共文化生活的载体。事实上，全国各地的展览中心都倾向于采用浮夸的设计，希望它们的尺寸和独特的外观能充分突出一个城市的雄心。然而，从个人的角度来看，这些特征常常使人感到恐惧，以致于使他们气馁，脱离民众的生活。因此，在2015年云城展览中心第一阶段的设计过程中，我们提出了一个非典型的展览中心设计，放弃了具体的模式和所谓的仪式感，从而使这个“高高在上”的展览中心的长期形象在这里无处可寻。替换是清新简洁的外部，模糊的边界和一个完全开放的空间，任何人都可以访问。

By nature, an exhibition center is a vehicle for urban public cultural life. In fact, exhibition centers all over the country tend to adopt a pompous design, being pinned with the hope that their dimensions and unique looks could fully highlight the ambition of a city. However, from the standpoint of an individual, these features often intimidate people, so much so as to discourage them and detach from the life of the populace. Therefore, in the process of designing the first-stage of Cloud Town Exhibition Center in 2015, we came up with an atypical exhibition center design, abandoning specific models and so-called sense of ceremony, thus making the long-standing image of a ‘high above’ out-of-reach exhibition center nowhere to be found around here. The replacements are refreshingly concise exterior, blurred boundaries and a fully open space accessible for anyone.

By nature, an exhibition center is a vehicle for urban public cultural life. In fact, exhibition centers all over the country tend to adopt a pompous design, being pinned with the hope that their dimensions and unique looks could fully highlight the ambition of a city. However, from the standpoint of an individual, these features often intimidate people, so much so as to discourage them and detach from the life of the populace. Therefore, in the process of designing the first-stage of Cloud Town Exhibition Center in 2015, we came up with an atypical exhibition center design, abandoning specific models and so-called sense of ceremony, thus making the long-standing image of a ‘high above’ out-of-reach exhibition center nowhere to be found around here. The replacements are refreshingly concise exterior, blurred boundaries and a fully open space accessible for anyone.

 First-stage project perspective drawing from southwest. Image © Lianping Mao

西南地区一期工程透视图。形象(连平茂)

自由、平等、轻松和开放的体验是该镇气氛的缩影，给每一位游客一种归属感和快乐感。在闲暇时间，每天都有大量的人来这里散步、休息、聚会和玩耍。到处都能看到他们的存在。甚至还有自发的表演。因此，这座建筑从一座临时建筑变成了一座代表城镇企业家精神的永久性建筑。

The free, equal, easy and open experiences epitomize the town’s atmosphere, giving every visitor a sense of belonging and joy. In leisure time, large numbers of people come here every day to take a walk, rest, meet up and play around. Everywhere you can see their presence. There are even spontaneous shows going on. Therefore, the building turned from a makeshift structure into a permanent building representing the entrepreneurial spirit of the town.

The free, equal, easy and open experiences epitomize the town’s atmosphere, giving every visitor a sense of belonging and joy. In leisure time, large numbers of people come here every day to take a walk, rest, meet up and play around. Everywhere you can see their presence. There are even spontaneous shows going on. Therefore, the building turned from a makeshift structure into a permanent building representing the entrepreneurial spirit of the town.

 The woven rod has blurred the boundary of the building, infusing the inner space with air and sunshine as natural materials. Image © Lianping Mao

编织杆模糊了建筑物的边界，将空气和阳光作为天然材料注入内部空间。形象(连平茂)

 The woven rod has blurred the boundary of the building, infusing the inner space with air and sunshine as natural materials. Image © Lianping Mao

编织杆模糊了建筑物的边界，将空气和阳光作为天然材料注入内部空间。形象(连平茂)

 A relaxing and stress-free atmosphere is being created inside the building. Image © Lianping Mao

一种轻松和无压力的气氛正在建筑内创造。形象(连平茂)

两年后，2017年，由于“计算会议”规模的扩大，第二阶段云城展览中心的规模将扩大三倍，与第一阶段的结构相反。就在每个人都期待一座更大的标志性建筑时，我们把它设计成了一个简短的“3D公园”。一开始没有模特。它甚至没有像建筑物一样袭击人们。该计划立即引起争议和反对。然而，它背后隐藏着我们对城市大型公共建筑设计范式的重新想象，它已经超越了展览中心本身。

Two years later, in 2017, due to the increased scale of ‘Computing Conference’, a three-times larger second-stage Cloud Town exhibition center was to be constructed opposite to the first-stage structure. Just when everyone expected an even larger ‘iconic’ building, we designed it as a short ‘3D-Park’. There was no modelling to begin with. It didn’t even strike people as a building. The plan caused instant controversy and opposition. However, hidden behind it was our reimagination of urban large-scale public building design paradigm, which had already gone above and beyond an exhibition center itself.

Two years later, in 2017, due to the increased scale of ‘Computing Conference’, a three-times larger second-stage Cloud Town exhibition center was to be constructed opposite to the first-stage structure. Just when everyone expected an even larger ‘iconic’ building, we designed it as a short ‘3D-Park’. There was no modelling to begin with. It didn’t even strike people as a building. The plan caused instant controversy and opposition. However, hidden behind it was our reimagination of urban large-scale public building design paradigm, which had already gone above and beyond an exhibition center itself.

 First/second-stage overall aerial view from northeast. Image © Lianping Mao

第一/第二阶段从东北全面鸟瞰。形象(连平茂)

 Part of east facade. Image © Lianping Mao

东面的一部分。形象(连平茂)

今天，几乎每个城市都拥有一个展览中心，需要大量的城市资源的支持。然而，只有很少的人知道，即使是最繁忙的展览中心也只有40％的使用率，这意味着他们每年都在闲置至少200天。大多数其他展览中心的使用率低于10%。在另一面，传统展览中心的惯性思维和典型特征使它们难以以任何其他方式加以利用，从而造成大量的资源浪费。因此，我们开始质疑自己：在履行展览中心原有职能的前提下，是否有可能促进普通人的生活？可以通过与其他类型的城市公共设施共享相同的主体或者通过集成一些类型来实现更高的资源利用率？

Today, almost every city owns an exhibition center, which requires the support of a huge amount of urban resources. However, only few people know that even the busiest exhibition centers merely have a usage rate of 40%, meaning that they lie idle at least 200 days a year. The usage rate of most other exhibition centers is below 10%. On the flip side, the inertial thinking and typical characters of traditional exhibition centers make them hard to be utilized in any other ways, causing a huge waste of resources invisibly. As such, we start to question ourselves: is it possible to facilitate ordinary people’s life on the premise of fulfilling the original functions of an exhibition center? Can higher resource utilization rate be achieved, by sharing the same body with other types of urban public facilities or by integration of some sorts?

Today, almost every city owns an exhibition center, which requires the support of a huge amount of urban resources. However, only few people know that even the busiest exhibition centers merely have a usage rate of 40%, meaning that they lie idle at least 200 days a year. The usage rate of most other exhibition centers is below 10%. On the flip side, the inertial thinking and typical characters of traditional exhibition centers make them hard to be utilized in any other ways, causing a huge waste of resources invisibly. As such, we start to question ourselves: is it possible to facilitate ordinary people’s life on the premise of fulfilling the original functions of an exhibition center? Can higher resource utilization rate be achieved, by sharing the same body with other types of urban public facilities or by integration of some sorts?

 Layered axonometric drawing

分层轴测图

因此，我们首先决定缩小大楼的巨大规模，以降低它的“侵略性”，将这66，000平方米的巨型建筑压缩到只有6.6米高。它把自己描绘成一个巨大而低矮的屋顶，覆盖着草坪，使它尽可能低的形象，并吸引人们接近它。

Consequently, we first decided to reduce the building’s huge size, in order to dampen its ‘aggressiveness’, compressing this 66,000 square meters mega-structure to merely 6.6 meters tall. It presents itself as a huge low rooftop covered in lawn, giving it as low a profile as possible and attracting people to approach it.

Consequently, we first decided to reduce the building’s huge size, in order to dampen its ‘aggressiveness’, compressing this 66,000 square meters mega-structure to merely 6.6 meters tall. It presents itself as a huge low rooftop covered in lawn, giving it as low a profile as possible and attracting people to approach it.

 ‘Sneak-peek’ of the couple from the grass slope . Image © Lianping Mao

"偷窥"从草坡的那对夫妇。形象?连平毛

整个建筑物周围都是一片平缓的草坡，因此整个屋顶似乎是地平线的延伸，公开欢迎人们走上屋顶。在第一阶段的设计中，第二阶段的设计相对于提升建筑物和将底层归还给公众，第二阶段的设计以一种更有趣和更环保的方式将建筑物占用的所有土地归还给公众。

All around the building sit a multitude of gentle grassy slopes, and thus the whole roof appears to be an extension of the horizon, openly welcoming people to walk onto the rooftop. In comparison to raising up the building and returning the bottom level to the public in the first-stage design, the second stage design returns all the land occupied by the building to the public, in a more intriguing and environmentally-friendly ‘3D-Park’ manner.

All around the building sit a multitude of gentle grassy slopes, and thus the whole roof appears to be an extension of the horizon, openly welcoming people to walk onto the rooftop. In comparison to raising up the building and returning the bottom level to the public in the first-stage design, the second stage design returns all the land occupied by the building to the public, in a more intriguing and environmentally-friendly ‘3D-Park’ manner.

 Schematic section

示意图剖面

从这两种设计来看，一种是“轻”的，另一种是“重的”。人们从一栋建筑的底部进入，然后在另一栋楼的顶部退出，而没有意识到这一点。在同一地点发起了一次和谐而有趣的对话。

Looking at both designs, one is ‘light’ and the other is ‘heavy’. People enter from the bottom of one building, then exit on top of the other without realizing it. A harmonious and interesting dialogue is thusly initiated at the same site.

Looking at both designs, one is ‘light’ and the other is ‘heavy’. People enter from the bottom of one building, then exit on top of the other without realizing it. A harmonious and interesting dialogue is thusly initiated at the same site.

 View of the rooftop garden from the first-stage open floor. Image © Lianping Mao

从第一阶段开放的楼层俯瞰屋顶花园。形象(连平茂)

为了控制屋顶的高度，使得人们可以很容易地进入，设计嵌入了地下9米高展厅的三分之一，这使得人们在进入会场时就会走下去。这与以前的《公约》中心的仪式大一步形成了强烈的对比。由于建筑高度低，建筑几乎充满了整个第二阶段，建筑密度和绿化率都突破了现有的设计规范（即使屋顶覆盖了绿色的土地，也只能将总绿化需求的20%转化）。这个想法再次受到了巨大的争议，多次被要求推翻和重做。幸运的是，杭州愿意接受想象，聆听建筑师的想法，更愿意为人民的生计创造更多的利益。在协调一致的努力下，这几次"死刑"计划以合理和合规的方式通过了各种批准。

In order to control the height of the roof so that people can easily access, the design embedded one-third of the 9-meter-high exhibition hall underground, which makes people walk down when entering the venue. This has created a strong contrast from the ceremonial large step of the previous convention centers. The building almost filled the entire second phase due to the low building height, and both building density and greening ratio break through the existing design specifications (even if the roof was covered with green land, it could only convert 20% of the total greening demand). This idea has once again suffered a huge controversy, and several times it was asked to overthrow and redo it. Fortunately, Hangzhou City is willing to accept the imagination and listen to the architect's ideas, even more willing to create more benefits for the people's livelihood. Under the concerted efforts, this several-time "death penalty" plan passed the various approvals in a reasonable and compliant manner.

In order to control the height of the roof so that people can easily access, the design embedded one-third of the 9-meter-high exhibition hall underground, which makes people walk down when entering the venue. This has created a strong contrast from the ceremonial large step of the previous convention centers. The building almost filled the entire second phase due to the low building height, and both building density and greening ratio break through the existing design specifications (even if the roof was covered with green land, it could only convert 20% of the total greening demand). This idea has once again suffered a huge controversy, and several times it was asked to overthrow and redo it. Fortunately, Hangzhou City is willing to accept the imagination and listen to the architect's ideas, even more willing to create more benefits for the people's livelihood. Under the concerted efforts, this several-time "death penalty" plan passed the various approvals in a reasonable and compliant manner.

 People can easily access the roof through the grass slope which would naturally attract people to rest and stopover. Image © Lianping Mao

人们可以很容易地通过草坡进入屋顶，这自然会吸引人们休息和停留。形象(连平茂)

 People can easily access the roof through the grass slope which would naturally attract people to rest and stopover. Image © Lianping Mao

人们可以很容易地通过草坡进入屋顶，这自然会吸引人们休息和停留。形象(连平茂)

屋顶不仅仅是个公园。我们还介绍了十多种有趣的设施，如足球场、了望塔、沙坑、演播室、溜冰台、社区菜园、亭子和跳房子，所有这些设施都有一个760米长的蜿蜒的屋顶跑道。所有这些看似与展览中心无关的设计吸引了许多顶级会议在这里举行。在平常的日子里，每天都有大量的人来这里锻炼、休息和玩耍。随着乡镇音乐会、足球比赛、嘉年华、马拉松等自发社区活动的进行，会展中心已成为城镇职工和居民日常生活的场所。

The rooftop isn’t just a park. We also introduced ten-odd types of fun-having facilities such as football field, watchtower, sand pit, studio theatre, roller skating platform, community vegetable garden, pavilion and hopscotch, all of which are joined by a 760 meters long winding rooftop runway. All these seemingly non-exhibition-center-related designs attract numerous top-level conferences to be held here. On usual days, large numbers of people come here every day to exercise, rest and play around. With spontaneous community activities such as township concert, football match, carnival and marathon going on, the exhibition center has become the place to be for workers and inhabitants of the town on a daily basis.

The rooftop isn’t just a park. We also introduced ten-odd types of fun-having facilities such as football field, watchtower, sand pit, studio theatre, roller skating platform, community vegetable garden, pavilion and hopscotch, all of which are joined by a 760 meters long winding rooftop runway. All these seemingly non-exhibition-center-related designs attract numerous top-level conferences to be held here. On usual days, large numbers of people come here every day to exercise, rest and play around. With spontaneous community activities such as township concert, football match, carnival and marathon going on, the exhibition center has become the place to be for workers and inhabitants of the town on a daily basis.

 Rooftop football field and track. Image © Lianping Mao

屋顶足球场和赛道。形象(连平茂)

 Md-air runway. Image © Lianping Mao

飞机跑道。形象(连平茂)

我们还在草坪下预装了大量的港口。如果人们有趣的想法，他们可以简单地发现草坪和插入式乐高。建筑的自由发展和这里正在进行的活动都可以从中受益。我们希望这座大楼不会限制使用者的想象力。

We also preinstalled a large number of ports beneath the lawn. Should people possess interesting ideas, they can simply uncover the lawn and plug in like LEGO. The free development of the building and activities taking place here can both benefit from this. We wish this building would never limit the imagination of its users.

We also preinstalled a large number of ports beneath the lawn. Should people possess interesting ideas, they can simply uncover the lawn and plug in like LEGO. The free development of the building and activities taking place here can both benefit from this. We wish this building would never limit the imagination of its users.

 Mobile cabin, community garden. Image © Lianping Mao

移动小屋社区花园。形象(连平茂)

 Community Garden. Image © Lianping Mao

社区花园。形象(连平茂)

今天，每个人都在谈论互连和共享，但似乎所有的连接都是虚拟的连接，所有的共享都是交替的共享。我们生活在一个非常先进的社交网络时代，但是人们真正了解彼此的机会越来越少。我们正处于一个“普遍互联”的时代，我们忽视了典型的互联-人与人之间的互联。我们希望设计这个吸引人的开放的地方，鼓励人们走出他们的家和办公室，来到这个公园拥抱大自然。我们希望人们能在这里见面，发展各种有趣的故事。

Today everyone is talking about interconnecting and sharing, but it appears that all the connections are virtual connections, and all the sharings are alternate sharings. We are living in an age of extremely advanced social networking, but the opportunities for people to truly get to know each other are fewer and fewer. We are in an age of ‘universal interconnection’, and we are ignoring the quintessential interconnection——interconnection between people. We wish to design this attractive open place to encourage people to get out of their home and their office and come to this park to embrace nature. We wish people could meet here and develop all sorts of interesting stories.

Today everyone is talking about interconnecting and sharing, but it appears that all the connections are virtual connections, and all the sharings are alternate sharings. We are living in an age of extremely advanced social networking, but the opportunities for people to truly get to know each other are fewer and fewer. We are in an age of ‘universal interconnection’, and we are ignoring the quintessential interconnection——interconnection between people. We wish to design this attractive open place to encourage people to get out of their home and their office and come to this park to embrace nature. We wish people could meet here and develop all sorts of interesting stories.

 Children’s BMX game, Teenagers’ aircraft model training. Image © Lianping Mao

儿童的BMX游戏，青少年“飞机模型训练”。形象?连平毛

屋顶公园一直延伸到主入口处的水槽式广场，加上半封闭的楼梯，创造了一个全天候的演播室剧院。

The rooftop park extends all the way to the sink-style square at the main entrance, in conjunction with half-enclosing stairs, creating a round-the-clock studio theatre.

The rooftop park extends all the way to the sink-style square at the main entrance, in conjunction with half-enclosing stairs, creating a round-the-clock studio theatre.

 Sink-style square at the entrance. Image © Lianping Mao

水槽式广场在入口处。形象(连平茂)

在拐角处，原先单调的货运坡道被重新设计成起伏的折纸形状。人们以各种方式使用它-青少年的溜冰鞋平台，或儿童的滑梯。

In the corner, previously monotonous freight ramp has been redesigned into an undulated origami shape. People utilize it in all sorts of ways——a roller-skate platform for the youngsters or a slide for kids.

In the corner, previously monotonous freight ramp has been redesigned into an undulated origami shape. People utilize it in all sorts of ways——a roller-skate platform for the youngsters or a slide for kids.

 Freight ramp transformed into a teenager's roller-skate platform. Image © Lianping Mao

货运坡道变成了青少年的旱冰鞋平台。形象(连平茂)

这座大楼的内部不再仅仅用作展览馆。通过空间与功能的整合，赋予它一种新的属性-“体育-仓库”。在没有会议的情况下，展览厅可以立即转变为篮球、羽毛球、乒乓球、健身训练等一系列运动的设施，并增加壁橱、淋浴和专业的机电设备，使之成为每天熙熙攘攘的场所。如此之多以至于需求远远超过了它的能力。

The interior of the building no longer serves solely as an exhibition hall. Through integration of space and functions, we confer upon it a new property – ‘Sports-Warehouse’. In absence of a conference, the exhibition hall can be immediately transformed into facilities for a series of sports such as basketball, badminton, table tennis, fitness training and etc., with the addition of closet, showering and professional mechanical/electrical equipment, making it a hustling and bustling place every day. So much so that the demand is well in excess of its capacity.

The interior of the building no longer serves solely as an exhibition hall. Through integration of space and functions, we confer upon it a new property – ‘Sports-Warehouse’. In absence of a conference, the exhibition hall can be immediately transformed into facilities for a series of sports such as basketball, badminton, table tennis, fitness training and etc., with the addition of closet, showering and professional mechanical/electrical equipment, making it a hustling and bustling place every day. So much so that the demand is well in excess of its capacity.

 The exhibition hall has become the town’s ‘sports warehouse’. Image © Lianping Mao

展览厅已成为城镇“运动仓库”.形象?连平毛

 The exhibition hall has become the town’s ‘sports warehouse’. Image © Lianping Mao

展览厅已成为城镇“运动仓库”.形象?连平毛

这是一个前所未有的审判。虽然它的地点和建设规模大致相同，但最终的结果不仅是一个展览中心，也是该镇的第一个公共公园和体育场。此外，它还为该镇注入了新的活力和无限的可能性。回顾整个设计，它既没有引人注目的外观，也没有复杂和昂贵的技术，也没有晦涩而深奥的想法。单纯的开放、复合和城市设计，使其成为城市最受欢迎的地方，最大限度地发挥了建筑背后城市资源的公共价值。设计是对新时代要求下城市公共建筑设计范式的积极想象和大胆尝试。这个项目已经走了很长的路，这里是我们特别感谢所有决策者和参与者的理解，支持和辛勤的贡献。

This is an unprecedented trial. Although it is roughly the same place and construction scale, the end result is not only an exhibition center but also the first public park and stadium for the town. Furthermore, it injects new vitality and infinite possibilities into the town. Looking back on the whole design, it has neither eye-catching exterior, nor complex and costly technique, nor obscure and esoteric ideas. The open, compound and civic design alone makes it the most popular place in town, maximizing the public value of urban resources behind the building. The design is an active imagination of and bold attempt at the urban public building design paradigm under the requirements of the new era. The project has come a long way, here is our special thanks to all the decision-makers and participants for your understanding, support and industrious contribution.

This is an unprecedented trial. Although it is roughly the same place and construction scale, the end result is not only an exhibition center but also the first public park and stadium for the town. Furthermore, it injects new vitality and infinite possibilities into the town. Looking back on the whole design, it has neither eye-catching exterior, nor complex and costly technique, nor obscure and esoteric ideas. The open, compound and civic design alone makes it the most popular place in town, maximizing the public value of urban resources behind the building. The design is an active imagination of and bold attempt at the urban public building design paradigm under the requirements of the new era. The project has come a long way, here is our special thanks to all the decision-makers and participants for your understanding, support and industrious contribution.

 Rooftop theatre and bleacher. Image © Lianping Mao

屋顶剧院和漂白剂。形象(连平茂)

Architects Approach Design

Location Yunxi County, Hangzhou, China

Architect in Charge Di Ma, Xin Jin, Lianping Mao, Sheng Jiang

Design Team Jiangliang Zhang, Weifen Sheng, Yang Wang, Mengjun Mao, Hao Wu

Area 66680.0 m2

Project Year 2018

Photographs Lianping Mao

Category Sports Field