Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
Inspired by calligraphic lines and ribbons, Ennead Architects have designed a mixed-use development creating a cohesive and dynamic urban district creating strong visual, pedestrian, and infrastructure connections with the surrounding site, district, and the city.
Named Taopu Smart City, the project is part of a new district being planned around one of Shanghai’s largest future parks and has been awarded a 2024 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
A unifying architectural language was established to create individual iconic moments and a cohesive urban garden identity for the development as a whole.
A network of indoor and outdoor spaces develops a fluid pedestrian experience incorporating memorable urban spaces within the city to support a 24/7, activated, mixed-use urban environment.
The multi-level pedestrian network forges symbiotic relationships between retail areas, park spaces, and streetscapes.
The design supports a connected research and development community while linking to the existing subway and transportation infrastructures.
Located on the western edge of Shanghai, Taopu Smart City is a central “hub” and neighborhood that is part of a new district being planned around one of Shanghai’s largest future parks.
The design actively engages its context and creates strong visual, pedestrian, and infrastructure connections with its surroundings.
With proximity to Tongji University’s West Shanghai Campus, the site is situated to become a key research and development district.
The overall design is inspired by calligraphic lines, with linear terraced landscapes, and the simple gesture of a ribbon. Rather than creating a single iconic building, the design fashions a memorable and iconic district.
Given the relatively low FAR for the various blocks, the design develops a series of continuous building edges that enclose five public parks.
Unifying the overall site, these linear forms turn upwards to become elegant tall towers, creating a bold skyline with strong visual connections to the surrounding roads, park spaces, and train lines.
A network of indoor and outdoor spaces develops a fluid pedestrian experience to support a 24/7, activated, mixed-use urban environment.
Within the complex, a multi-level pedestrian network forges a symbiotic relationship between retail areas, park spaces, and streetscapes, seamlessly merging interior and exterior programs together.
Project: Taopu Smart City, Plot 605
Architects: Ennead Architects
Lead Architect: Peter Schubert
Design Team: Kevin McClurkan, Grace Chen, Andrew Burdick, Steven Peppas, Jing Lu, Lynn Zhang, Michael Spitaleri, Eric Tsui, Stephanie Tung, Dayo Adeyemi, Josh Broadway, Margarita Calero, Magdalena Checo, Colin Davis, Kyle Graham, Wenny Hsu, Daekyung Jo, Sang Hyun Lee, Jazzy Li, Xinya Li, Xiaoyun Mao, Sandra Marcatili, Kyung Il Min, Nikita Payusov, Chris Shusta, Lanxi Sun, Chao Wei, Charles Wong, Lingxiao Xie, David Yu, and Ricky Zhai
Architect of Record: China Construction Design International (CCDI)
Client: Lingang Economic Development (Group) Co., Ltd.
Photographers: Yihuai Hu