Completed in 2010, the Guangzhou Opera House was ZHA’s first building in China. Another 14 pioneering Chinese projects have since opened, including Beijing’s renowned Leeza SOHO tower and Daxing International Airport. The New World exhibition revisits these seminal projects, together with the further 25 ZHA projects across the country currently in development.

Looking to the future, the exhibition examines ZHA’s detailed research and multidisciplinary approach to their work. New digital design tools, robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence and virtual reality are changing how ZHA designs and constructs; developing efficiencies in design, construction techniques and materials that reduce the environmental impact of their architecture while enhancing the performance of each building.

Presenting ZHA’s research into continual improvements for the construction industry, the exhibition studies ZHA’s collaborations with leading scientific institutions around the world in the development of award-winning innovations in sustainability strategies and materials, as well as the studio’s applications of advanced data analytics and agent-based modelling which enable their architecture to address both individual and overall wellness.

The exhibition also explores ZHA’s new virtual architecture within the metaverse that is information-rich and socially engaging. Using photo-quality, 3D and multiplayer online video-game creation tools combined with high-speed network and cloud technologies, ZHA’s virtual environments focus on user experience and interaction. Powered by parametric design technology and incorporating community-forming social infrastructure, ZHA’s virtual environments are enhancing communication and collaboration around the world.

Outlining ZHA’s perspective on the future of cities, the exhibition’s ‘Building the Future’ zone presents a selection of forthcoming projects throughout China where their work assimilates local cultures and sensitivities to site-specific conditions. Showcasing ZHA’s unwavering optimism for the future, The New World exhibition examines the consistently inventive nature of their architecture. Marrying advancements in design technologies with ecologically sound materials and sustainable construction practices, ZHA does not look at the disparate parts, but works to understand them as a whole to meet the aspirations of each new generation.