Zhejiang, China
The design of this project is not confined to the site itself but places the architecture within the broader urban context.
Tracing the city’s developmental trajectory, the design approach integrates macro-level urban design thinking and people-oriented concerns into the architectural design.
Architectural Design of the Yangtze River Delta Innovation R&D Headquarters Base by ISA Internationales Stadtbauatelier, won an 2026 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
The conceptual framework is developed through a dual lens, addressing both “dynamic” and “static” design considerations to achieve this synthesis.
The design scheme actively responds to the flow and connection of urban space.
On the master plan, three building volumes are strategically positioned to establish a positive visual dialogue with three key landmarks of Linping: the Art Town in the core district, Linping Hill, and the Grand Canal.
Furthermore, the design crafts a distinctive iconic form, intended to be dynamically perceived and appreciated from multiple pathways, including the city’s main roads, expressways, and viaducts.
The building façade draws its core inspiration from the poetic image of a phoenix poised for flight. This concept is innovatively translated into the curved curtain wall’s texture, which emulates the intricate pattern of phoenix feathers.
The realization of this vision employs a proprietary scaled-unit curtain wall system.
This innovative curtain wall system technology has granted multiple design patents and international BIM awards, representing a dual breakthrough in both the artistic expression and technical execution of contemporary architectural curtain wall design.
The idea of integration extends further into the building lobby, where interior and exterior spaces are blended seamlessly. A sunken atrium draws open space inward, further strengthening the bond between the building and the city.
This project exemplifies a successful practice of the holistic “City-to-Architecture” design paradigm—a model destined to become a standard for future architectural design within the existing urban context.
Project: Architectural Design of the Yangtze River Delta Innovation R&D Headquarters Base
Architects: ISA Internationales Stadtbauatelier
Lead Architects: Shenzhou Chen and Yuanhua Quan
Design Team: Ruoxi Chen, Hong Zhang, Baolong Zhen, Tingting Qi, Xiaohui Du, Shuwen Ni, Ren Wang, Yaowu Chen, Wei Liang, Rong Zhong, Xiangwu Yin, and Peidong Zhang
Landscape Architect Team: Zhetao Wu, Jing Zhu, Peicun Ying, Qianqian Zhang, Huafeng Yan, Suqing Yan, Jing Ling, Xinjie Lin, Yu Li, Jiangcheng Luo, Xu Li, Jian Xu, Tingting Hou, Qing Han, Guohua Yin, Yuan He, and Tingting Zhou
Associate Architects: China United Engineering Co., Ltd.
General Contractor: China United Engineering Co., Ltd.
Client: Hangzhou Linping Qiantang Asset Management Co., Ltd.
Photographers: Weimin Huang and Guangkun Yang
