Located in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, a prominent cultural and commercial destination, Xujiahui Centre is one of Shanghai’s most prestigious development projects. Situated close to a high-traffic metro station connecting three subway lines, the project consists of four comprehensive developments with a massive total gross floor area of 584,000 sq.m.
Overall, the development’s purpose is to drive Shanghai towards becoming an open, modern, multifunctional, world-class city, while bridging the old and new worlds by establishing strong connections with the existing neighbourhood.
RLP was involved in the façade design of the developments in Plot One and Plot Two. Plot One has two six-storey office towers on top of a two-storey retail podium; while Plot Two has a 17-storey office tower and a three-storey shopping mall.
The design subtly echoes the project’s other buildings, giving a distinctive outlook yet firmly underlining the comprehensive, holistic nature of the development. The buildings also blend with the surrounding neighbourhood – providing functions needed for the district and tailoring the scale of buildings and the building materials to the existing environment.
The Plot One towers are located at the northern end of the site, establishing a gateway and a primary point of contact for the general public. The building façades facing the inner court have higher transparent properties, reflecting the openness within the development. In contrast, the more solid building façades along the main road are offset from the main building mass by strips of horizontal fins which act as shading devices and provide privacy to the users on site.
A fluid-form canopy lies at the heart of the site, drawing people from the towers and the podium together and creating a protected open space with a lively setting. The floating canopy illuminates buildings along Hua Shan Road, while green walls lie along the Tian Ping Road frontage, acting as an extension of the nearby Xu Jia Hui Park and enhancing the tranquil streetscape at the rear elevation.
