The Xinchang Globular Center (XGC), designed by line+ studio under the leadership of Chief Architect Dr. Zhu Peidong, was completed in 2025. Situated in Xinchang, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, it is a mixed-use sports mall that adopts a 1+N composite model aimed at mitigating the endemic challenges of venue utilization in smaller cities.
The Sports Mall as a Catalyst for Tier-3 Urban Renewal
Spanning 121,132 square meters, it is a significantly important infrastructure and a major component of Zhejiang Province’s strategic 4+1 projects. It demonstrates a financially sustainable urban space, integrating high-standard athletic facilities with extensive commercial, public, and hospitality programs within a unified operational framework. Since its opening, it has attracted 220,000 visitors, demonstrating success in transitioning from an event-driven facility to a year-round civic and commercial anchor.
The brief for XGC included two major objectives: first, providing facilities meeting international competition standards, such as for national badminton and table tennis, and second, creating a sustainable operational model that does not rely entirely on government subsidy. It is located at the strategic intersection where the expressway, national highway, and the new high-speed rail station converge, effectively establishing it as Xinchang’s northern gateway.
The Sports Mall concept directly addresses this by combining athletic facilities with commercial, leisure, dining, entertainment, and hospitality programs within a continuous operational system. The design follows the principle of normalization, emphasizing daily leisure, fitness, and regular public access over event hosting. It ensures that the building functions as a year-round activity center for residents, supporting continuous public engagement.
line+ Studio’s Mountain Contours and Fluid Rooflines
Conceptually rooted in the mountain and water landscape of Xinchang, the design manifests its exterior form through a strategy of continuous massing and a strong horizontal rhythm, crafted to establish a new, dynamic waterfront interface. line+ studio’s core philosophy of spatial empowerment seeks to unlock multidimensional social, economic, and cultural value through architectural solutions.
The complex necessitated a dense stacking of diverse functions, including a 5,000-seat main gymnasium; a 7,900-square-meter training hall designed for maximum flexibility, capable of accommodating 24 badminton courts or two tennis courts, alongside a basement-level gym and a four-lane pool; a 6,100-square-meter table tennis hall, featuring dual-height spaces for table tennis and additional badminton training; and extensive commercial spaces, a ballroom, exhibition areas, and a 19-story athlete hotel, which also functions as a vertical landmark on the cityscape.
The striking element of XGC’s organizational strategy is the central atrium, which operates as an internal urban street and functions as the primary connection linking the complex’s five major functional volumes. It is lined with retail and dining elements that integrate with the primary athletic functions.
The XGC project stands as a precise illustration of a design methodology that seeks to transcend the traditional boundaries of architecture by addressing systemic issues in current urban and rural contexts and unlocking value across multiple domains: social, economic, and cultural.
Historically, large-scale stadiums and event halls outside of Tier-1 cities suffered from low utilization, leading to high maintenance costs. The Xinchang Globular Center (XGC) exemplifies a complex, fluid geometry and an advanced technical envelope for large-scale civic infrastructure.
Xinchang Globular Center Project Details
Architects: line+ studio
Location: Shaoxing, China
Area: 121132 m²
Lead Architect: Zhu Peidong
Landscape Conceptual Design Team: Li Shangyang, Rao Feier
Client: Xinchang Public Service Group Co., Ltd.
Collaborating Design Institute: Huahui Engineering Design Group Co., Ltd.
Curtain Wall Design: Zhongnan Curtain Wall
Photo Credits: Xi Chen
