Chaoyangmen SOHO / Zaha Hadid Architects

Jul 2009

By David Basulto — Filed under: Featured , News , China, Mixed Use, Zaha Hadid

Bert from Moving Cities (a blog focused on contemporary architecture in China) just told us about a new project by Zaha Hadid in Beijing: Chaoyangmen Soho.

The announcement was made by Pan Shiyi, a real estate mogul chairman of SOHO China. Pan has been working on huge developments, such as the Commune by the Great Wall and several commercial projects in central Beijing.

What’s interesting on SOHO’s developments, is that they invite renowned architects to participate, under heavy budgets restrictions in order to delivery quality projects for the “stylish middle class”. They also have a great corporative culture as you can see on their website.

But back to this project, Bert points us out to a recent interview with Pan Shiyi:

Q: Which development project is your favourite?
A: Chaoyangmen SOHO. It is our latest development. I asked British architect Zaha Hadid to design a creative project, and she did. The project is unique, like the Beijing bird´s nest [Beijing National Stadium].

Read more about this project at Pan Shiyi’s blog. More images after the break.

44 comments »

16:08:78 says:

“I asked British architect Zaha Hadid to design a creative project, and she did. The project is unique, like the Beijing bird´s nest [Beijing National Stadium].”………. hahaha.. That said it all.

# July 16, 2009 at 14:43

Alaa Raf. says:

BY THE WAY SHE IS FROM IRAQ…

# August 20, 2009 at 02:00

Sleezy says:

She is a British-Iraqi woman to be exact:)

# October 6, 2009 at 12:57

Brian says:

The first rendering suggests no rain cover for the complex, might be a problem :/

GoP says:

Looks like outta some crapy SciFi Movie….

# July 16, 2009 at 16:00

rjay says:

always the same with a few variations in all zaha’s work
this is creativity?..cmon its enough already
boring……

# July 16, 2009 at 16:17

ah says:

i reallly reallly like the physical model… actually a lot more than the renderings.

# July 16, 2009 at 16:46

nothing to say says:

Looks like something Lloyd Wright would have conceive, have he lived in our time. It resembles the Guggenheim Museum in NY. Now I do not say this with any connotation. It’s just a comment, out of a sense of ennui.

# July 16, 2009 at 17:15

Alec Murgia says:

I agree with one comment, reminds me of ways to wrigth, master of master…

# July 16, 2009 at 17:31

kk says:

how is this different to any other floor-plate-as-form (see half the mid east proposals by anyone) projects…”like the birds nest”?? wow, talk about hood winked

# July 16, 2009 at 18:22

cad says:

Only thing missing is the AT&T logo.

# July 16, 2009 at 18:30

cyclona23 says:

Makes me feel like a tiny floater in a giant toilet

# July 16, 2009 at 19:25

skubanga says:

lol, now that you say it … but i actually like this one,… the model looks really nice, clean and simple. if build, it will be a cool landmark with usable, characteristic spaces…

# July 16, 2009 at 19:37

Ronan says:

Lol. you’re on form!

# July 23, 2009 at 13:12

Ala says:

I love the Simple Form, interconnected public spaces,a mix of openness Vs. a safe feeling of enclosure.

# July 16, 2009 at 20:16

killuation says:

from the recent works of zaha hadid, i just can say she is just not thinking about to be creative…

# July 16, 2009 at 20:20

ziga says:

like four breasts，ah，haha.is that zaha hadid sketches the outline of her own breast？

# July 16, 2009 at 20:45

snks says:

grow up
!man

# August 2, 2009 at 15:39

Dan says:

“I asked ‘British’ architect Zaha Hadid..”

LOL … noob

# July 16, 2009 at 22:17

naza says:

el edificio del elicoide caracas venezuela

# July 16, 2009 at 22:38

André says:

what kind of material do they use to make the physical model? maybe some plans could justify everything.. but I really enjoy the forms, nice one!

# July 17, 2009 at 00:25

biboarchitect says:

It’s a copy from Atkins Dubai promenade Icon Hotel in Dubai, The wings Apartments!! even the renders …

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/195/picture2zb6.jpg

# July 17, 2009 at 01:35

Marek says:

A pretty similar building is being built in Poland:

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6880/p1080104v.jpg

# July 17, 2009 at 03:19

Dariusz says:

very feminine! boobs..

# July 17, 2009 at 05:45

archipod says:

The client wanted something like the ‘bird nest’ so she gave him a bee’s nest. Now they have the birds and the bees. Nice.

# July 17, 2009 at 08:30

barching says:

Quality!

# July 30, 2009 at 04:00

marcin says:

looks sick!!

# July 17, 2009 at 10:08

sullka says:

I kinda like this Zaha…

This is the building Naza mentioned (with an “h” naza, btw):

http://cav.org.ve/cms/images/stories/eventos/20080603_helicoide_dirk/gallery/img6.jpg

Not really that similar, but hey…built in the 50s.

# July 17, 2009 at 10:19

Jacob Antoni says:

BLOB again…

# July 17, 2009 at 15:41

eben says:

big boobs projects! zaha is getting old.. to think..!

# July 18, 2009 at 06:54

Labrador says:

It is true what “biboarchitect” said, is a copy!

# July 18, 2009 at 10:02

faux says:

very uninspiring..

# July 18, 2009 at 11:11

public eye says:

People are like barking at the moon. Har har. They say whatever they think because they can stay anonymous. Those guys and me will never be like those architects. But we will be very good at barking.

# July 19, 2009 at 00:17

Lasse Lyhne says:

What dog says “Har har”?
Seems to me you are not very good a barking after all….

While you practice barking the rest of us will use this forum for architectural debate.. The essence of this is not who is best, it is sharing opinions…

# July 20, 2009 at 17:23

Feri says:

it is a saying: “Whoever thinks is original, is poorly(badly) informed!!!”

# July 27, 2009 at 08:27

KELVIN says:

ALWAYS THE SAME CONCEPT LOOKS LIKE,,,CMON,,FEEL BOILING A LOT,,,

# July 31, 2009 at 22:17

corto says:

I don’t like Zaha Hadid’s architecture. But in this building she seems to have succeeded on focusing on something else other than just floating lines. Strong image I have to admit.

…still I didn’t like the building at all…

# August 1, 2009 at 08:37

Jasper says:

Mixed feelings…

It doesn’t look like this project is trying to be original. Although, when compared to other projects, it might just bring all things better together; but that is hard to see from these pictures.

But then again, because it is familiar to buildings already mentioned, it probably gets appreciation from the masses; and it is building for masses. So no complains here… the building will be sufficient, just not satisfying the inventive part of me

# August 1, 2009 at 09:36

Gracie says: