Shanghai Yangshupu Power Plant Regeneration

Originally commissioned in 1911, Shanghai Yangshupu is a former coal-fired power plant that is widely considered to be the first of its kind in the Far East and the third oldest power station building in the world. Part of a wider riverfront site, the plant contains two historic power station buildings, associated waterside buildings and equipment. It is an important set of buildings which helped in the early development of the city’s economy and has dominated the skyline for generations. It is listed as a China industrial heritage building. Today, the plant is set to benefit from a massive overhaul to preserve, adapt and add to the heritage of the site. We are adding new accommodation and social, retail and business functions to both of the heritage power station buildings with the aim to transform Yangshupu into a mixed-use community for people across the district. A new Shanghai Power Plant for modern, Chinese life. Connecting the plant with its heritage was an important aim for the city. The heritage buildings will be interconnected by a new linear museum, curated with historical information about the river and the plant. The museum will utilise the original circulation route of the coal conveyor belt system, which transferred coal from the river barges to the power station boilers. Through extensive on-site investigation and research, we divided existing buildings into three classifications: ’protection’, ‘optimisation’ and ‘reconstruction‘. It comprises a city-scale urban plan forming a series of connected and green public spaces, event areas and mix of uses. All parts of the site will become interconnected to create a busy and engaged community of local people, visitors and workers. A great, new riverside park provides natural, serene refuge from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai city lives. How to balance ’new and old‘ is a big challenge in refurbishment projects. The two chimneys of the old and new power stations are not only one of the most notable landmarks of the city, but also the historical DNA of Shanghai's industrial advances and city-wide development. We have recommended the use of artistic light projections to highlight these iconic architectural features, instead of any direct interventions to the historical structures, to ensure their conservation and to align with safety considerations. The façade of the new towers is inspired by industrial turbine blades. The parametric adaptive façade incorporates passive design strategies, which can redirect light and reduce solar gain by automatically adjusting the angle according to sunlight radiation and sun height. This will heighten the comfort of the interior and reduce the dependence on air conditioning systems, so to achieve the low carbon sustainable targets. The regeneration project has started the cultural re-establishment of the area for the people of Shanghai and has created a great deal of excitement about what is to come. Our designs will breathe a new type of energy into the reused industrial buildings and city neighbourhood.