Director
Dip Arch
London, UK
Nils Fischer
Photograph by Frederic Aranda ©
As a key leader at ZHA, Nils leads a design team delivering cultural, infrastructure, and transportation projects. He established ZHA’s Computational Design Research Group (CODE) and the Technology Lab, where he drives the development and application of next-generation technologies, and cultivates a culture of technological experimentation. His strength lies in his ability to generate and integrate diverse knowledge with specialised expertise, bringing innovative ideas to fruition.
Nils has focused on complex high-rise structures, setting a world construction speed record with the Jumeirah Nanjing Hotel & International Youth Cultural Centre in China. He also directs a range of large-scale sports and culture projects, including the Grand Theatre de Rabat in Morocco and the Xi’an International Football Centre.
Prior to joining ZHA, Nils worked with ABB Architekten and Bernhard Franken Architekten on award-winning projects for BMW and freelanced as an engineering consultant for Massimiliano Fuksas. His collaboration with the European Space Agency exposed him to advanced technologies that later influenced his architectural work.
Photograph by Luke Hayes
Thallus White in The City 4-9 April 2017
Research
Optimising design and construction processes via the development of bespoke technologies.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Nils studied in Germany and Italy, graduating from the Technische Universitaet Darmstadt with a Diploma in Architecture. His academic research focused on experimental computational geometry.
Nils has always viewed the world as his playground, with his Swedish-German background prompting a strong curiosity and drive to explore new places and possibilities. Outside of architecture, he enjoys reading about politics and sociology, finding these subjects essential for understanding the complexities of human life and their correlations.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Featured Project
Comprised of two towers, the Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre acts as both an anchor and a catalyst for future investment in Nanjing’s Hexi New Town. Mainland China’s first top-down/bottom-up tower construction, the entire centre was completed 34 months after design began with all works on site lasting only 18 months.
Projects
Explore a selection of projects Nils has contributed to since joining ZHA.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Sports
Xi’an International Football Centre’s 60,000-seat stadium and training grounds are integral to the ongoing development of football in China. Initiated by the Chinese Football Association and China’s national sports development organisations, the new football centre provides facilities of the highest standards to nurture the sport across all levels.
Render by Proloog
Sports
Located within Hangzhou’s Future Science and Technology Cultural District, the sports centre establishes a new riverfront park and public plazas with direct access to Lines 3 and 5 of the city’s expanding metro network.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Civic
Mixed Use
The Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre harnessed the energy of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games to create a project with a lasting legacy that has enhanced and also regenerated its setting; acting as both an anchor and a catalyst for future investment in Nanjing’s Hexi New Town.
Culture
A fluid sculptural form inspired by the Bouregreg River between the ancient cities of Rabat and Salé. Incorporating an 1800-seat theatre, a 7,000 person amphitheatre and an experimental performance space.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Culture
Echoing and extending the many circulatory and visual connections that define its surrounding topography, the museum forms itself by extending and folding these connections through a series of pleats, producing a structure that changes as visitors move past and through it – creating great curiosity yet never fully revealing its content.
Culture
Located at the entrance to Sanya’s harbour, the new cultural district by ZHA is adjacent to the Jiangang Road terminus of Sanya’s tram network that connects many of the residential and hotel districts on Sanya Bay with the city’s high-speed rail station.
Photograph by SeilaoJiong 张灏
Sports Centre
Sports
Situated at the southern end of Guangzhou’s Nansha District on the western bank of the historic Pearl River, the Greater Bay Area Sports Centre will serve as an anchor to the new civic, business and residential district at the heart of the Greater Bay Area.
Render by Atchain
Masterplans
The future Huanggang Port Area masterplan in Shenzhen, China will be an important node of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Science and Technology Corridor, creating a hub of scientific research and collaboration in industries such as microelectronics, material development, artificial intelligence, robotics, and medical sciences.
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