The resulting structure, on the site of a former hotel, combines
office, civic, commercial and cultural space with green ribbons of
public walkways, connecting the streets and buildings of China’s
busiest intersection with peaceful arteries from which to escape
the tumult.
The design explored ways in which the project could become a
generous catalyst for the wider environment, building pedestrian
connections, walkways and bridges above the transport
interchange as an extension of the building; in doing so, renewing
the local infrastructure. Through extensive analysis, Jacques Ferrier,
founder of Jacques Ferrier Architecture, and Pauline Marchetti,
co-founder of Sensual City Studio, identified the need for enhanced
pedestrian connectivity at the intersection and incorporated this
into the building’s car park. The radical intervention creates raised
and planted walkways which lift pedestrians eight metres above
the crossroads to provide more logical and enjoyable connectivity
between city landmarks such as the church and the park.
The top two floors are home to the cultural centre, space that
seemingly “floats” on the skyline of the district.
As a piece of architecture, T20 expresses the movement and
dynamism inherent in the site: its circulation and activation through
human use, across the bridges that connect to the city and at ground
and first floor level where public facilities and shops are located. The
car park becomes a lush urban oasis for the city, with the insertion
of an extraordinary “hanging garden” that is visible from key public
spaces.
This combined approach by Jacques Ferrier Architecture and
Sensual City Studio has brought nature into even this most
densely populated area, through suspended gardens and plantings
throughout the scheme which will help to counteract some of the
inevitable pollution in the area. Balancing dynamic movement and
respite, the building reintroduces therapeutic nature into the urban
condition by offering a garden to the city in this intriguing layered
approach to city architecture.
The project includes two levels of commercial space underground,
one of which is connected to the Metro City building by an
underground gallery. Floors 1 and 2 house several hundred square
meters of community spaces. Floors 3 to 7 house the public car
park, which unfolds in the form of a continuous spiral, serving the
offices and businesses of the district. The 8th and 9th floors are
shared office space arranged around a large raised garden, and
house a reception for visitors, cafeteria, meeting rooms, auditorium
and spaces for relaxation and conviviality. Levels 10 to 15 have
been developed as efficient and user-friendly office floors. KEY FACTS
• Location: Shanghai [China]
• Architects: Jacques Ferrier Architecture (JFA) with Sensual City
Studio (SCS)
• Client: Shanghai Xujiahui Commercial Real Estate Development Co,
Ltd.
• Completion: 2019
• Area: 215,000 square feet (20,000 square meters)
• Use: Commercial
THE DESIGN EXPLORED WAYS IN WHICH
THE PROJECT COULD BECOME A GENEROUS
CATALYST FOR THE WIDER ENVIRONMENT