Taopu Smart City Land Block 605/606 Commercial & Office Development

Located on the western edge of Shanghai, Taopu Smart City is a central “hub” and R&D neighborhood that is part of a new district being planned around one of Shanghai’s largest future parks. The design actively engages its context, creating strong visual, pedestrian and infrastructure connections with the surrounding site, district, and city. 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, linear terraced landscapes, interconnected linear infrastructure networks, and the simple gesture of a linear 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 linear 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. The design actively engages its context, creating strong visual, pedestrian, and infrastructure connections with the surrounding site, district, and city within the framework of a vibrant destination. 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. Within the complex, a multi-level pedestrian network forges symbiotic relationship between retail areas, park spaces, and streetscapes, while seamlessly merging interior and exterior programs together.