Changchun Aerospace Expo wins Gold A' Design Award

Changchun Aerospace Expo, designed by Cheng Sun, Dagang Qu and Xi Huang, won a Gold A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category on Sept. 8, 2026. The project was recognized for combining aerospace-inspired architecture with wetland ecology, cold-climate performance and material efficiency.

Why it matters: - The Gold A' Design Award signals that Changchun Aerospace Expo is being held up as a benchmark for architecture that blends cultural ambition with environmental restraint. - The project points to a broader industry challenge: how to build landmark spaces without overwhelming sensitive landscapes. - The recognition could influence future public projects that need to balance education, accessibility, sustainability and climate resilience.

What happened: - The A' Design Award named Changchun Aerospace Expo a Gold winner in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. - Cheng Sun, Dagang Qu and Xi Huang led the project. - The announcement was dated Sept. 8, 2026. - The award recognizes the project as an example of strong design in architecture.

The details: - Changchun Aerospace Expo uses a curved form inspired by space silhouettes. - The project links aerospace themes with the wetland landscape around the site. - A low-profile layout was used to reduce ecological impact. - The first-floor roof integrates with the surrounding park to connect culture and leisure. - A custom steel framework supports floating forest and flying vehicle motifs. - An integrated building skin improves thermal efficiency and reduces material use. - Building Information Modeling and computational design were used to optimize the structure for extreme cold. - High-precision steel fabrication was used to build the complex curved geometry. - Research using Rhino, Grasshopper and BIM tools showed a 15% reduction in material waste. - Xi Huang contributed to architectural development. - Xumiao Guo and Xiufeng Li supported the design and technical execution. - The dedicated project page is available here.

Between the lines: - The award highlights a design trend toward projects that treat sustainability as part of the architecture, not an add-on. - The project also shows how computational tools are now central to shaping complex forms while controlling waste and structural performance. - The cold-climate setting matters because it raises the difficulty of combining public programming, efficiency and site sensitivity.

What's next: - The recognition may help position Changchun Aerospace Expo as a reference project for future cultural and ecological landmarks. - The design team is likely to continue emphasizing computational methods and environmental fit in future work. - The A' Design Award will continue promoting winning projects through its annual international competition platform.