The studio, founded by architects Guang Xu and Lilas Wang, designed the Heli-stage as part of a commercial complex called the China Textile Center (CTC), located in the heart of Keqiao Science City, which integrates both artistic and commercial spaces.
Partly due to its strategic location in the southern Yangtze River Delta, Keqiao is one of the largest and most important centers in the world for the production, trade, and distribution of textile products. ATAH was responsible for the master planning and design phases of the CTC, which includes a shopping center, offices, and serviced apartments connected to a new street view. The prominent location of the Heli-stage at the main entrance of the newly developed project required a unique and striking structure. ATAH responded to this challenge with a design inspired by the swirling pattern of the surrounding landscape. The cylindrical shape is carved with a spiral opening, revealing a circulation hub that extends from the center of the building.
“The design concept includes a spiral form that blurs the boundaries between floors, creating a continuous exhibition space by linking the exterior to the interior,” the architects state. A staircase following the cylindrical shape of the building gradually rises to connect with other levels. This external circulation space can be used for artistic performances and is visible from the surrounding plaza.
The main structure of the building is supported by a steel core, without a central air shaft or elevator. A space frame, suspended by a cable, keeps the horizontal floors free of columns. ATAH explains, “The changing geometry of the staircase between the first and third floors is tangentially connected to the structural steel core.” The outer surface of the Heli-stage is wrapped in a seamless curtain wall of curved triangular double-glazed panels. This surface is equipped with projection technology, allowing it to transform the building into a dynamic display showing different patterns or graphics.
The interior of the building consists of a single modular unit applied to the lower side of sweeping ceilings, illuminated by concealed lighting strips and opposite the walls. The building has three-story exhibition spaces surrounding the central elevator core and is also accessible via the spiral staircases.
