Zaha's alien landscape dropped into a Beijing hutong neighborhood
Galaxy SOHO (simplified Chinese: 银河SOHO; traditional Chinese: 銀河SOHO; pinyin: Yínhé SOHO) is an urban complex building located in Beijing, China. Built between 2009 and 2012, it is the first of three buildings designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid located in Beijing, along with Wangjing SOHO and Leeza SOHO. The building is located in the southwest corner of Chaoyangmen Bridge in the Second Ring Road of Beijing. The complex features a curvilinear design consisting of four asymmetric continuous structures. It covers an area of 330,000 m2. The parametric design of the building was inspired by classical Chinese courtyards. The complex offers shops, offices and entertainment facilities.
Featured in Zaha Hadid's definitive monograph, Zaha Hadid. Complete Works 1979–Today. 45th Ed.
Visitor Guide
Walk through the connecting bridges between the four volumes. The interior courtyards are more interesting than the exterior — the spatial flow between buildings is the design.
From the elevated metro station walkway for the swooping roofline composition. Inside the courtyards for the canyon-like spatial experience.
Open commercial complex — free to walk through during business hours. Some retail areas have limited hours.
Controversial: replaced a historic hutong neighborhood. The fluid forms were designed to echo traditional Chinese courtyard spatial logic — but expressed through parametric geometry rather than orthogonal walls. ZHA argued the continuous surfaces create more social space than traditional blocks.
30-45 minutes
Design & Structure
ZHA used Rhino/Grasshopper for the flowing surface geometries. The four interconnected volumes were designed as a continuous surface that splits and reconnects, creating bridges and courtyards. The GFRC cladding panels were rationalized from the freeform surfaces using custom panelization algorithms.
Aluminum curtain wall with stone-like finish, GFRC panels, glass. The smooth white finish creates the monolithic appearance ZHA was known for.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed Galaxy SOHO?+
Galaxy SOHO was designed by Zaha Hadid and completed in 2012. It is located in Chaoyangmen Subdistrict, People's Republic of China.
Where is Galaxy SOHO located?+
Galaxy SOHO is located in Chaoyangmen Subdistrict, People's Republic of China. Its coordinates are 39.9192°, 116.4268°.
When was Galaxy SOHO built?+
Galaxy SOHO was completed in 2012. It was designed by Zaha Hadid.
Can I visit Galaxy SOHO?+
Galaxy SOHO is a real building in Chaoyangmen Subdistrict that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.