Zaha Hadid Architects' Unicorn Island masterplan in Chengdu takes shape

Zaha Hadid Architects' 67-hectare “Unicorn Island” masterplan in Chengdu is slowly beginning to take shape with the near-completion of its first building, a start-up exhibition and conference center. 

The masterplan's catchy name “Unicorn Island” might make it sound like some sort of utopian theme park at first, but the name is a reference to the multitude of $1 billion-worth “unicorn” tech start-up companies that operate in China.

Located in Chengdu's evolving Tianfu New Area, the mixed-use project will provide living and working environments designed to enhance the well-being of some 70,000 researchers, office staff, residents, and visitors, according to ZHA.

Its design was influenced by the region's historic natural engineering projects, like the nearby UNESCO-designated Dujiangyan irrigation system and the contemporary hydraulic engineering that is re-establishing T...