Winner of an architectural competition in China, this ambitious project was completed in March 2004, extending over 24 hectares in Guangzhu, a city of 10 million inhabitants situated in southern China. The new congress centre is intended to be the driving force and a tool for a return to the links between the site, nature and the city.

Most congress centres are solitary, indifferent objects, totally removed from their surroundings. In this case, the architects opted for a building opening onto an urban environment and onto the mountain in order to reconcile human culture and nature. Extending over a surface are of approximately 210,000m˛, the new complex has been designed as a fragmented area, leaving open views across the site. More than simply a building, it is an intense landscape made up of gardens, patios and four "bridges" crossing the road. A system of slopes descends from the roof to ground level. Five red-brick areas emerge from the base, to form artificial hills - a symbolic reference to the "five goats" from a famous local legend.

Distributed among three central blocks surrounded by two hotels, the plan was also designed to be as horizontal as possible, with independent sections facing south-west. The internal structure is simple and clear. Architecturally, a standard constructive module was used as the starting point in order to guarantee feasibility and budgets. Some simple transformations were then undertaken in order to integrate the interior and exterior areas better. The result shows an overall dynamic unit. The choice of materials was red stone, often used in local traditional buildings, and highly-efficient glazing protected by stainless steel visors. The durability, minimal and ecological use of the materials, alongside the choice of renewable energy sources formed the basic principles behind the design.
Revealing a personal view of the construction process of this exceptional building, the Belgian photographer Philippe van Gelooven presented his testimony in the exhibition "Images | Imagination, Citygate in Red", recently shown in Brussels. His images show that contemporary architecture cannot exist without a set of cultural stratifications.