of
Construction is underway on a 420,000 sq m mixed-use development at the end of the Shanghai Bund. Comprising eight buildings and two soaring towers, the immense waterfront scheme has been designed by Foster + Partners and Heatherwick Studio.
Wrapped in a crafted stone and bronze shell will be ‘Grade A’ office spaces, a boutique hotel, an arts and cultural centre and retail spaces incorporating concept stores, high-end shops, boutiques and restaurant amenities. At the core of these facilities is a landscaped plaza which enables pedestrians to animate the space and access all public amenities.
Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio details: “Sitting at the gateway to Shanghai’s Old Town, on the river bank where boats would arrive from the rest of the world, this is an extraordinary site which stood unoccupied for many years.
“In filling this last empty site on Shanghai’s famous Bund, this concept is inspired by China’s ambition not to duplicate what exists in the rest of the world but to look instead for new ways to connect with China’s phenomenal architectural and landscape heritage.”
The design responds sensitively to its given site, with the two 180m-high office towers placed to the south and the permeable plaza encouraging footfall at the meeting point between the old town, the Bund and the new financial district. The height of the buildings steps upwards away from the waterfront to enable optimum viewing for all users in this ‘corporate mansion’.
David Nelson, Head of Design at Foster + Partners said: "The project has given us an exciting opportunity to create a glamorous new destination, as well as a new series of spaces that create a major addition to the public realm, right in the heart of historic Shanghai."