PROJECT REPORT: RETAIL DEVELOPMENTS 31
Nihon Sekkei’s initial sketches for the exterior had already been done when UNStudio began working on the project. “We liked the contrast that would result if this was coupled with our more fluid approach,” Piber explains. “In terms of geometry and the continuity of the experience based on colours, a simplicity of facade pattern and colour accents.” When designing the facade, Nihon Sekkei shared and understood the desired impact the complex as a whole would have in the city: “This building complex has an impact not only on the surrounding roads, but also on the entire surrounding region and the city itself,” says Nihon Sekkei’s Wenjie Li, chief architect on the project. “We always understood the sculptural approach as enabling the unexpected and suggesting there is something to be revealed or discovered on the inside of the building,” adds Piber.
There are various elements to the facade, with the volumes facing the road on the south and east side of the building clad in bright white elements which have been rotated at varying angles to resemble origami. A glass curtain wall at ground level gives passers by a glimpse inside at the retailers and provides an entrance to the complex. The building’s west facing facade features carefully configured golden triangular blocks, a design inspired by diamonds to represent the luxurious element of the shopping experience. The black blocks containing the upper levels of the building feature aluminium alloy plates and metal louvres. The building’s scale (it has a gross floor area of approx 120,000 m2; comprising 50,000 m2 retail and 18,290 m2 office) meant the facade was always going to be a substantial area. And this was a key reason behind the overall tessellated design. “A building with a large volume usually gives an oppressive impression,” says Nihon Sekkei’s Li Shen. “By breaking up the volume, we eliminated the oppressiveness and gained the unity and individuality of the building at the same time.”
Although it appears ‘random’, the pattern of the aluminium pieces cladding the facades – of which there are 14,000 in total – was rigorously controlled. Each was numbered before being placed, in a painstakingly specific way to also adhere to mechanical ventilation and smoke exhaust system requirements. “The aluminium materials were neatly lined up in a spiral
ADF APRIL 2022
pattern, which satisfies the ventilation requirements and gives a unique appearance from the outside,” Shen explains. He adds: “Parametric design brought convenience and reliability to the construction.” An overall aim with the material choices on the project, says Piber, was to use natural materials wherever they could. “From wood inlays to ceramics and textiles, our focus was to use natural materials as much as possible throughout the whole scheme,” she says, adding that it was particularly possible in the facade cladding and fit out aspects to achieve this aim.
As well as providing retail space to high-end brands, previously uncatered for in the Jing’an district, the complex will also bolster Shanghai’s so-called “debut economy,” by providing a platform for businesses to open their first stores. With work having begun on the complex in 2014, it had its official opening ceremony in November 2021. g
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“Our approach involves looking at the users and designing for numerous different experiences” Astrid Piber
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