The Exhibition Center Of CANNANO / HOT DESIGN

Architects: HOT DESIGN
Area: 4158 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Junnan Liu
Lead Architects: Xiang Wang, Ke Yan
First Floor Pavilion Design and Construction: Shenzhen Silkroad Blue Creative Display Co. Ltd
Construction Drawing Collaboration Institute: Guangzhou Zoneteam Architectural Design & Urban Planning Institute Co.,Ltd.
Wood Structure Specialist Consultant: Suzhou Kunlun Crown Homes Co., Ltd.
Landscape Design Team: Architectural Design & Research Institute of SCUT Co., Ltd
Lighting Consultant: Wenjing Cai
Contractor: Guangdong Fourth Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.
Wood Structure Contractor: Suzhou Kunlun Crown Homes Co., Ltd.
Clients: Guangzhou Nano Industry Investment Co., Ltd
City: Guang Zhou
Country: China

The Exhibition Center of CANNANO, designed by HOT DESIGN, is located at the central landscape plaza of CANNANO Park in Huangpu District, Guangzhou, near the intersection of Hulin Middle Road and Zhujiang North Road. The dome-like structure spans 39 meters in diameter, and 21 meters in height, and covers 4,158.99 square meters, with a basement for utilities and three above-ground floors for exhibitions, conferences, and reception areas. Designed as a global hub for nanotechnology, the center features a spherical glulam lattice shell inspired by a “sequoia tree,” symbolizing collaboration, and a steel frame with “core tubes” allowing column-free interiors. The first floor houses exhibition sections, the second floor includes conference spaces and a reading area, and the third floor features a 360° panoramic platform with media and social spaces.

Because the basic surface of the wood structure grid shell is accompanied by three‑dimensional twisting, the wood structure grid presents an illusion of time and space being distorted. This feeling is very special and fits everyone’s abstract feeling of time and space travel.
Interview with Xiang Wang of HOT DESIGN

The exhibition center of cannano / hot design

Situated on the north side of the intersection of Hulin Middle Road and Zhujiang North Road in Huangpu District, Guangzhou, The Exhibition Center occupies the central landscape plaza of CANNANO Park. The structure features a dome-like design with a diameter of approximately 39 meters and a height of 21 meters, encompassing a total floor area of 4,158.99 square meters. The basement level, covering 992.63 square meters, is designated for equipment and utility spaces, while the three above-ground floors, totaling 3,166.36 square meters, are primarily utilized for exhibition halls, reception areas, and academic conferences. The Exhibition Center is envisioned as a key landmark for presenting research achievements, hosting external exhibitions, and facilitating media releases, with the goal of becoming a globally leading nanotechnology exhibition hall, achieving numerous “firsts” worldwide.

The Exhibition Center building consists of two distinct structural systems: a spherical glulam lattice shell and a main steel structure. The spherical glulam lattice shell, constructed from glulam, is inspired by the concept of the “sequoia tree.” It rises from the center of the site and extends outward, culminating in an “apple core”-shaped geometric form near the top of the glass curtain wall. This interwoven wooden grid shell represents the mutual support and collective growth of various disciplines, specialties, and teams, reflecting a continuous pursuit of academic excellence and a legacy of nationwide expansion and success.

The primary functional areas of the building are supported by steel frame structures, which include three “core tubes” formed by two staircases and logistics equipment rooms positioned 120 degrees apart from one another. These core tubes serve as the main vertical support system, enabling the second and third-floor slabs to cantilever, resulting in a column-free suspended functional space. This design significantly enhances the interior’s purity and transparency, emphasizing the openness of the exhibition center.

The first floor of the Exhibition Center primarily serves as an exhibition hall, divided into five sections: the introduction hall, innovation, entrepreneurship, creation, and dream creation. The second floor is dedicated to academic conference rooms, a multifunctional party building activity hall, and an open book reading area, catering to the needs of small and medium-sized academic exchange events and visitor receptions. The third floor features a 360° panoramic indoor platform, which includes a media release area, a coffee and water bar production area, and a salon area.