Drawing on global experience

In early November the story of BAU China, the leading trade fair in the Asia-Pacific region for "building systems solutions, high-end technologies and materials", entered a new chapter at the New International Expo Center in Shanghai.

With its largest participation to date, BAU China presented innovative products and exchanged ideas on the trends leading the construction industry.

The trade fair demonstrated that smart, sustainable and energy-efficient solutions continue to be the major topics in the global building sector.

"With 778 exhibitors and two additional halls, BAU China was bigger than ever this year," says Reinhard Pfeiffer, deputy chairman of the board of Messe Munchen, one of the largest exhibition companies in the world and one of the sponsors of the event.

In an exhibition space of over 54,000 square meters, a host of domestic and international companies, including Aluk, Hormann, Lixil, Resysta, Reynaers and YKK, presented a range of innovative products.

"With over 61,000 visitors, the trade fair grew by 17 percent over the previous year, and was able to increase the number of international visitors by 20 percent," says Pfeiffer.

According to Pfeiffer, BAU China appeals to a diverse range of exhibitors. For international companies, it is the ideal platform for them to display their products and make new business contacts－all in the same venue and at the same time. And they also get to learn about trends and developments emerging in the Chinese market from which they can derive new ideas.

"Overall, with BAU China, we offer a platform for the entire building industry in Asia. It's a platform where the industry can meet, exchange ideas, explore trends and of course find solutions for the challenges in today's construction market," he says.

Wang Renchun, chief executive officer of MMU BAU Fenestration, says: "Architecture is closely related to each of us, and the future of architecture is about creating a beautiful life for people.

"We expect that BAU 2019 will create an 'encounter' between the Architectural Design Institute and architects, developers, and building system solutions companies, which will help to promote the relationships and integration across the entire industry supply chain."

Hubert Aiwanger, the Bavarian minister of economic affairs, regional development and energy, who visited BAU China with a delegation from Germany, also underlined the significance of the event: "The numerous exhibitors and high visitor numbers are an indication of China's increasing demand for high-quality, efficient and humane buildings and urban development. With regular additions to its coverage, most recently the topic of architecture, BAU China always has its fingers on the pulse, and remains an attractive exhibition for trendsetting ideas, concepts and solutions for the construction sector."

The China Architecture Design Expo was also an event that was well attended. CADE is a segment of BAU China that has been organized for the second time in cooperation with the Architectural Society of China. The key topic of this year's exhibition was "People, Architecture and Technology". CADE offered insight into providing solutions to integrate new technology into modern architecture.

The trending topics of the industry continue to be sustainability, energy efficiency and the implementation of digital construction solutions.

With its central theme "The Future of Building in China", the BAU Congress China, an integral part of the trade fair picked up on the newest developments affecting the industry.

With its nationally and internationally renowned speakers－stars from the architectural firmament such as Britain's Martin Jochman, the brains behind the iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel in Dubai and Japan's Junya Ishigami－the congress was a magnet for industry practitioners and observers, alike.

The future of construction was also the subject of the first International Urban Project Award, which was presented during the event.

The award went to the Helsinki Public Library Oodi.

Pfeiffer says that the project was chosen by a top-class jury from over 40 submissions. He emphasizes that attending the award ceremony was his personal highlight at BAU China 2019, and he affirms that the project is a truly impressive one.

Niklas Mahlberg accepted the award on behalf of ALA Architects: "We are very delighted to have received the IUPA and to have had the possibility to exchange ideas with international colleagues at BAU Congress China. The Oodi Library is a future-oriented building bringing new meaning to the urban environment and empowering the entire community－and also an example of a holistically sustainable and energy-efficient approach. It is therefore well-aligned with the themes of both the BCC and the IUPA."

At the Prefabrication Materials and Green Building Forum, experts also exchanged views on modern production processes and discussed how the prefabrication of structural components can help improve environmental compatibility.

Originally launched as Fenestration BAU China, an event which focused on windows, doors and skylights, the exhibition has continually evolved to integrate new segments in line with its parent event: BAU, a global trade fair for architecture, materials and systems held annually in Munich. This evolution and its increasingly broad specialism saw the event rebrand itself this year as BAU China, where it absorbed Fenestration BAU China－a dedicated window and door event.

The new segments now cover over 5,000 square meters, and include the Architecture Solutions/CADE; Digitization and Building Automation; and Flooring, Roofing and Waterproofing exhibitions.

A new cooperation agreement with the Roofing and Waterproofing Association of China represents the next step in the expansion of this segment.

As Pfeiffer explains: "We are excited to be able to offer our visitors added value through this agreement. Next year, the China Roofing and Waterproofing Expo will take place concurrently with BAU China in Beijing－sharing a location with BAU China at the SNIEC from 2021."