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Architects: KPF
- Area: 278858 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Plompmozes, Justin Szeremeta, Rex Zou, Qingyan Zhu
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Traffic Engineering: WSP Norge, WSP
Text description provided by the architects. Conceived as an integration of culture and commerce, Huamu Lot 10 – The Summit, reimagines participatory urbanism by re-activating an abandoned riverfront, fostering a new public space, and merging its three towers through cantilevered sky galleries with the adjacent museum. Strategically located adjacent to Century Park and the Huangpu River, the project transforms a previously neglected riverfront into an active civic realm. "The project seeks to flip the equation of a tower, which typically includes an iconic top, and instead uses the gallery program as a cantilevered volume at the mid-point of the tower," explains KPF Design Principal Jeffrey Kenoff, FAIA. "The result is a moment that engages the pedestrian realm while simultaneously sculpting the project's identity within the Shanghai skyline." The cantilevered sky galleries are illuminated and clad with reflective and hammered titanized soffits, reinforcing their spatial prominence within the urban fabric and contributing to the project's distinct identity within the skyline.
A critical move for the project is its reorganization of vehicular circulation. By relocating traffic to an outer loop, the design liberates a central plaza that redefines pedestrian connectivity between the towers, museum, and waterfront. This spatial strategy allows the podiums to engage directly with the urban context, with terraces formed through shifted slabs that guide visitors to key programmatic elements. The terraces simultaneously provide green spaces, fostering a biophilic connection for users while offering expansive views of the surrounding city. "The urban significance of this cluster of buildings goes beyond its office function," Says KPF President James von Klemperer, FAIA. "The complex combines with a major museum to create cultural spaces that elevate the aspirations of the city."
Sustainability is integral to the project's conception. Rainwater collection systems capture stormwater for irrigation and cooling applications, while vegetative roofs mitigate runoff, enhance insulation, and reduce urban heat island effects. The waterfront landscape was designed to be resilient to the heightened risk of flooding due to the increasing frequency of severe weather events, strategically allowing certain zones to be submerged while others remain intact. Co-generation systems, in conjunction with absorption chillers, optimize energy efficiency by converting waste heat into electricity, heating, and cooling. These measures exemplify a commitment to environmentally responsive design that minimizes the project's ecological footprint.
Attention to user wellness is also evident throughout the project. "To ensure tenant wellness, we designed every floor with full-height glass for ample daylight and great views, operable windows for fresh air and thermal comfort, and amenities such as roof gardens and art galleries, all while saving energy and respecting the surroundings," explains Senior Designer Katsu Shigemi, AIA. The use of glass curtain walls maximizes daylight penetration and offers panoramic views, reinforcing the integration of interior and exterior environments.
From a structural perspective, the project employs innovative engineering solutions to achieve its ambitious cantilevers. "While most of the structure is reinforced concrete, we are using steel trusses for the major structural moves as well as a double slab system at the gallery that cantilevers over the public plaza," says Senior Technical Designer Eric Engdahl. This approach ensures the structural stability of the cantilevered galleries while allowing for flexible programming.
