Location: Shanghai, China.

Architect: Atelier Ping Jiang | EID Arch.

Minsheng Wharf Block E15-3 is a new waterfront development in Shanghai designed by Atelier Ping Jiang/ EID Arch for urban regeneration. The project site is located in-between century-old industrial silo warehouses, historical houses with landmark status, and a neoclassical luxurious residential neighborhood designed by American architect Robert Stern. The design aims to create an urban structure that mediates and reconnects the complex urban conditions. The master planning includes a new addition of office building, a temporary pavilion for arts and communal activities, and renovation of three historical colonial houses. The building massing is articulated into four vertical tiers, inspired by the vertical rhythm of the silos. Porosity and permeability are introduced to the massing allowing for connectivity and interaction between the street and enclosed courtyard. The tower and the podium are connected by a slender horizontal corridor, paying tribute to the industrial elements of the silos on the wharf. The façade is made of Moroccan gray limestone and pressure-treated wood panel for podium base storefront facade, which is consistent with the concrete material palate of the silo. The vertical grooved line details on the tower façade adopted warm-tone material such as metal copper, which reflects the materiality of the surrounding historical building. The project not only improved the urban fabric and structure but also activated the previously deserted urban environment. These interventions have connected new commercial spaces, cultural/communal venues, and residential neighborhoods along the riverside. Through strategic urban in-fill and acupuncture, Minsheng Wharf is becoming a lively urban hub and cultural destination.

Photo credit: Schran Image.