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We all know that buildings don't always turn out like the renderings. Last-minute changes and real-life materials can all cause discrepancies between the vision and reality of a project. In our weekly Flash Forward Friday feature, we take a look at how different projects stack up.
The global population has taken notice of late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid's voluptuous architecture. Her track record is one of consistent excellence, with a variety of uses and functions manifesting themselves in a plethora of shapes and sizes. While some of Hadid's most significant works are built close to the ground, the thriving practice has set their sights higher in recent years. The supertall Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre in China is among the firm's largest and most recent completions, making another legacy-defining architectural statement that speaks to Hadid's prowess.
Acting as a terminating vista for Hexi New Town, Nanjing's new central business district along the Yangtze River, the complex is comprised of two towers of varying heights erupting out of a shared podium. The sculpted podium, perforated by a pattern of rectangular and diamond-shaped openings, contains a large conference centre and concert hall, which were both heavily used during the Youth Olympic Games in 2014. The meandering walls of the structure form the user experience on the inside, which is underscored by strategically placed lighting.
A harmonious interplay of curtain wall glass, glass-fibre reinforced concrete, and perforated aluminum panels characterizes the facade. A weave of white curved lines separate as the building rises, ultimately forming a series of vertical accents on the towers that are then resolved by pitched crowns. The 314- and 255-metre towers contain office space and two hotels.
The project went through some minor revisions during the design process, particularly concerning the articulation of the lower levels. A previous rendering shows a more controlled mosaic of diamonds rising up the perforated base, while the final rendering showed the smaller and more frenetic arrangement of apertures that was eventually implemented. The new drawing also depicted a smoother front entryway and the trademark white piers running up the tower, which the previous rendering had omitted. Additionally, the overall profile of the tower appears to be more rigid, with harder corners and a sharper roof. The final product is practically an exact replica of the last rendering that was released.
We will return next Friday with another comparison!
