Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled the new Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, which will host the 81st annual World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon 2023.
Currently under construction, the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum will later host the Hugo Awards, an annual literary award for science fiction works.
Established in 1939, Worldcon is the world’s largest science fiction event. The Hugo Awards have been presented at Worldcon by the World Science Fiction Association since 1955. This will be the first time the events are held in China.
Per a press release, the city of Chengdu is a “leading incubator of science fiction writing in China”. Additionally, the ‘Science Fiction World’ magazine has been published in Chengdu since 1979.
Chengdu is home to more than 20 million residents. The new museum will become a “vibrant center of innovation and gathering place for the city”.
Worldcon 2023 in China
Designed to look like a “star cloud”, the 59,000-square-metre venue includes exhibition galleries, educational facilities, a theatre, conference hall and cafes.
The central atrium features a large window that faces the Xiling Mountain. The museum itself “appears to float above from the surface of the lake”.
Solar panels have been installed on the museum’s roof canopy. The museum is landscaped with plants native to the region, and the design collects and stores rainwater for natural filtration and reuse.
Elsewhere, London’s Science Museum is home to a new sci-fi exhibition titled ‘Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination’. This explores the relationship between scientists and the science fiction genre.
Images: Zaha Hadid Architects
