Zhumadian is perhaps best known for supplying China with sesame seeds. The seed is
a powerful and meaningful symbol for the convention center’s design and purpose to
house the agricultural show that draws thousands of visitors each year. As an epicenter of
activity in the agricultural industry, the convention center represents origins, life, growth
and health for the region and the people who visit the building.
The site is located along the western edge of the new commercial development to the
west of the central city and will be the first of three cultural buildings to sit within the
agricultural park area.
The rounded triangular form of the seed suggests the potential of life and organic growth
and development, a concept that has informed the building’s design. The three elements
critical in the agricultural process are earth, heaven, and people, and with respect to the
immediate environment, the facility has been oriented about a clear north-south axis with
a design that relates to the three agricultural process elements.