Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) unveiled the visuals for Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza at the building’s groundbreaking ceremony.

The upcoming 167,000 square hectare complex was designed by the late Zaha Hadid, the first female architect to be honored with the Pritzker Prize. Satoshi Ohashi, director of the architecture firm’s China office, explained that she had designed the building “with concepts of integration, connectivity and fluidity.”

The 8-story building is divided into two sections, connected to each other with skybridges. Curves and waves remain as the main trademark of a Zaha Hadid building. One could see the building as a series of stacked rings. When viewed from above, the plaza will take shape of an infinity symbol – as implied in the ‘Infinitus’ of its name.

Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza by Zaha Hadid Architects © Zaha Hadid Architects

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The Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza is designed as a gateway to the new Baiyun Central Business District, which will sit on the site of the former Guangzhou airport. There are six communities to be developed in the vicinity of that area.

The studio is using a “unitized insulated glazing system” to maximize natural light inside the building and help reduce energy loss. Perforated aluminum screens will protect those inside from direct sunlight while also recovering rainwater. Sensors will even monitor weather conditions, energy use and lighting to ensure efficiency and save power.

The building is expected to be finished in Q2 2020.

Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza by Zaha Hadid Architects © Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid died of a heart attack in Miami in March 2016. She was a key figure of 20th-century architecture. Born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid was the first woman to be crowned with the Pritzker Architecture Prize, one of the most prestigious in the profession. She is also the first woman to receive the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.