This project was invited by Design Anthology (referred to as \”da\” hereafter) and exhibited in Shanghai for four days upon its completion in 2023. As a magazine that combines design and art, Design Anthology(da) itself is like an archive. Returning to the theme of the invitation, \”Archive,\” we aimed to extract inspiration and express design concepts from the magazine itself.
The Joye & Sam Lifestyle Market is located in the French Concession district of Shanghai, surrounded by a century worth of cultural heritage and atmosphere. Known as the Champs-Elysées of the East, the area is the city’s cultural hotspot, and is the home of various landmark institutions such as the Shanghai Library, the Shanghai Symphony Hall and the Shanghai Theatre Arts Center.
As the main carrier of the urbanisation process in the suburbs of Shanghai, Jiading New City is an important hub for Shanghai’s development in science and technology, and a recently-established sub-centre for the future city. Shanghai Jiading Financial Center Project is designed by Aedas Global Design Principal Ken Wai, located in the core area of the lot and has been brought into practical use since its completion. The façade perfectly interprets the design concept that focuses on simplicity, organically integrating modern elements into the surrounding nature, and creating a new vibrant hub for the emerging commercial cluster in Jiading New City.
Located on Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek, Shanghai Suhe MixC World blurs boundaries between the city’s past, present and future. The project’s starting point was rethinking commercial spaces to better integrate with their surroundings. The resulting ‘urban valley’ presents a brand-new public space in the city and sets a new benchmark for Shanghai.
Creating a cultural destination with mise-en-scène
Nowadays, everyone watches movies online, how could physical cinemas stay relevant and attractive for the cinephiles?
That was the design challenge for our first cinema project for MOViE MOViE at the Taikoo Li Qiantan, a mixed-use development recently completed in Shanghai. We started off asking what is the cinema experience? It is a moment of escape, an internal journey, or an expedition to another world. To complement these adventures, we set out to create a physical platform recalling memories of encountering natural wonders and travelling off the beaten path.
Kokaistudios’ recently completed architectural renovation project of CITIC SQUARE shopping mall epitomizes Shanghai’s inherent duality. With a futuristic aesthetic combining multimedia elements and some of today’s most sought-after brands, it sits seamlessly alongside one of the city’s best-preserved examples of traditional, historic lane housing. Located in Jingan district on main thoroughfare Nanjing West Road, the transformed building’s pixel-inspired facade and carefully selected materials break the traditional ‘box’ shape to blur the boundaries between city and mall, public and private.
Led by the goal of accelerating regional integration in the Yangtze River Delta, the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor linking Shanghai and its neighbouring cities is designed to be an important engine. Aedas has recently won the conceptual design competition for the adjacent G60 Innovation Center, situated at the starting point of the corridor, as a gateway landmark.
The Shanghai Submarine Museum will occupy a prominent position on the Huangpu riverfront in central Shanghai at No. 3 Dockyard, the former site of the Jiangnan Shipyard and more recently part of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo site. The area is currently undergoing a major urban transformation, with 30 km of the west Huangpu riverfront with its old industrial docks and sites being converted into cultural facilities, public parks and recreational sites linked by a green pedestrian passage.
Ben van Berkel: “Shopping malls are the public spaces of Chinese cities. These retail complexes are not simply places to shop, they are all-in-one destinations for outings and social gatherings. They are also places where culture and commerce merge and where architecture can express this expansive condition.”
The best of both worlds
Collaboration was key for the creation of a symbiotic relationship between the commercial aspirations and the architectural interventions. While Nihon Sekkei were asked to develop the outer shell of the retail center, UNStudio was tasked with fleshing out the mall as a placemaking destination for customers and the larger community. This included the design of the inner courtyard and its facades, the full interior of the mall and a public rooftop terrace.
UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber, Hannes Pfau with Ger Gijzen, Marc Salemink, Sontaya Bluangtook and Daniele de Benedictis, Dongbo Han, Enrique Lopez, Lars van Hoften, Tiia Vahula, Martin Zangerl, Mo Lai, Ningzhu Wang, Shuang Zhang, Marta Piaseczynska, Chao Liu, Cristina Bolis, Tom Wong, Yang Li
MVRDV is revealing their design for the Lankuaikei Agriculture Development (LAD) Headquarters in Shanghai, an 11-storey terraced office building that brings together both high- and low-tech sustainability strategies under a swooping technological roof to create a showcase for the agriculture technology company. Located near the lake at the centre of Lingang New Town, the building is conceived as an agricultural oasis in a rapidly developing urban area in Shanghai, and one of China’s greenest, smartest sustainable buildings.
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