Images of a new €29.5m expo centre designed by the London practice of Zaha Hadid Architects have been released. To be located on the outskirts of Chartres, France, the scheme, which is part of the ‘plateau du Nord-Est’ masterplan, features 12,500 sq m of interior display areas and 4,700 sq m of external exhibition space.

Hadid’s practice told the Architect’s Journal that the building’s design ‘is a compact and functional solution with a strong and clear overall composition’. The centre is capable of housing up to three events simultaneously and features a roof-top cafeteria with views of Chartre’s Cathedral. Construction will start in 2013.