Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled the design for Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, in the capital of Sichuan province, in Southwest China.

With a total area of 59,000-square-metre, the project – currently under construction – includes exhibition galleries, a theatre, and a conference hall and it features a huge flexibility, in order to host a variety of events in the 20 million residents city, known as an incubator of science fiction writing in China, as well as a significant global center of scientific innovation and research.

The museum is located on Jingrong Lake within the Science & Innovation New City of Chengdu’s Pidu District, and with its dynamic surfaces appears to float above the surface of the lake. “The fluid forms of its roof radiate from a central point within, emulating an expanding nebula cloud with a star at its center,” explained Zaha Hadid Architects.

At the center, a sky-lit central atrium and its large window face the spectacular Xiling Mountain. ZHA developed the project by using detailed digital modeling analysis to maximize efficiencies in composition, site conditions, solar irradiation, and structure. For example, the dimensions of the roof are calculated in order to perfectly shade the glazed facades during the summer.

The museum will host the 81st Worldcon, the world’s largest science fiction event, and the Hugo Awards.