Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026
Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026

Xi'an

An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about xi'an

Project • By VertebralShops

% Arabica

A traditional high tower houses the first % Arabica store in Xi'an. It keeps the clean monotone design that has become the signature of all Arabica shops, but it's set apart by its mystical verticality. Photos by: Shen Hui As you enter through its glass doors, the walls rise to 12 meters tall and pull your gaze upwards. The walls, covered with more than 4,000 slanted roof tiles glazed in white, honor the legacy of the Terracota Army that stands protecting the city, both through material and repetition. Photos by: Shen Hui On the very top appears a glowing, diffused, almost heavenly % sign that magically crowns the space. Through its symmetry and height, the architecture stands strong and impactful. Photos by: Shen Hui % Ar... More

Project • By BBd NEWSRestaurants

W branch of Xi’an of Shanghai Yen

We discover the consistency between the brand and urban culture, and interpret it through space, thus creating unique local sensation for Shanghai Yen, creating active new market. Zheng Yan In the 20th century, after decades of development, Shanghai cuisines have evolved from rustic dishes to exalted culinary products. Various famous chefs have appeared along with them. Meanwhile, Xi’an has gone through swift changes, and could no longer be simply described as ancient city. Caption In April 2022, W Hotel of Xi’an had granted Benbang cuisine a new spotlight.  Shanghai Yen, the brand that highlights Benbang cuisine in Xi’an, has entered the northern market. Wu Wei, the designer of IN.X, integrates trend, en... More

NewsNews • 20 Aug 2020

Zaha Hadid Architects designs wavy football stadium for Xi’an with terraced facade

The new Xi’an International Football Centre designed by Zaha Hadid Architects will seat 60,000 spectators for national and international matches as well as domestic league games, youth training academies, entertainment performances and cultural events. The stadium will be located  in Xi’an's Fengdong New District within the orthogonal urban grid of Fengdong’s business district. A series of shaded south-facing garden terraces will also serve spectators visiting the stadium during football matches, cultural events and performances. Zaha Hadid Architects applied sweeping lines along the facade to protect the stadium from northerly winds. The fluid form of the roof shelters the saddle-shaped seating bowl that maximi... More

Project • By Seth Powers PhotographyHotels

Grand Hyatt Xi'an

Grand Hyatt Xi’an takes reference from the spirit of the Silk Road and reinterpret into the elegant contemporary interiors of the hotel. The theme begins in the double-height lobby where patterned timber walls form wing-like motifs and a large feather-like sculptural feature extends ten meters from the floor to the ceiling, lit from below. The lobby’s bubble lifts are wrapped in curved laser-cut metal screens with images depicting ancient Chinese palaces. An extravagant curved staircase leading to the function rooms sets the scene for a grand entrance by evoking the motion of desert sand dunes. The Chinese restaurant takes you to an Oasis with stylized trees placed around the restaurant and ruby-like pomegranate screen u... More

Project • By Seth Powers PhotographyOffices

GLP I-PARK Office Towers

A previous masterplan included all the office accommodation arranged in a single block, and MDO reorganized this area into 4 towers, creating more view corridors through the site and to the park, less overshadowing and better leasable office floor plates. The 4 towers are designed as two pairs that are mirrored off an existing central axis. The brief called for economic floor plates and a cost effective façade. Recesses, obtrusions, all of these would add cost; instead we decided to treat the facades as a skin which could be enriched through careful composition, proportion, and detail. The façade is vertically organized into bands, which increase in height as they rise, giving the towers a greater vertical emphasis. The curtai... More