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Architects: Benoy
- Area: 140000 m²
- Year: 2017
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Photographs:Terrence Zhang
Text description provided by the architects. Following on from its Masterplanning of the Qiantan Central Business District, Benoy has completed the Architecture and Interior Design of The New Bund World Trade Centre (Phase I); an integral component of the Qiantan Commercial Development in Lujiazui, Shanghai. Construction of the centre was recently finished and tenant fit-outs are currently underway.
The architectural design of The New Bund World Trade Center (Phase I) is a continuation of the masterplan for Lujiazui Qiantan Business District. It corroborates the masterplan at the building scale. The multi-layer urban pedestrian system, interlocking network of business spaces, and continuity of the urban presence all add to the diversity of the urban complex, resulting in an improved user experience and sense of public space. The design enables the development to maximize its commercial success.
The project includes two 135-metre grade-A office towers to the east and a three-storey commercial district to the west. In keeping with the goal of creating a new and dynamic lifestyle hub for the city, the World Trade Centre is designed as a sustainable business destination featuring a pedestrian-friendly layout incorporating an abundance of green spaces.
Spanning 15,000m2, the partially external podium offers outdoor spaces, double-decked pedestrian walkways, verdant planting, retail outlets and al fresco dining to create a multi-level recreational oasis for office workers, visitors and nearby residents. An open plaza network has been designed to deliver ample public outdoor space and a variety of areas to relax and unwind during lunch breaks and after work. Rooftop gardens and terraces bring life to the development and blend the commercial centre with the natural environment.
One of Benoy’s design principles is to fully combine functionality with flexibility, so that the complex can be used for various businesses ranging from office and retail to catering services. This helps optimise the commercial utility of the buildings. The buildings feature rectilinear elements and blocks as the core architectural language, which explains its crisp and clean look.
Supporting the people-centric design, bridges have been introduced on the second level to connect the office towers and commercial podiums, allowing people to move between buildings quickly and easily. The walkways are enclosed in glass and overlook the podiums beneath, reinforcing the visual connection with the vibrant heart of the scheme. Another connecting walkway is located below ground on the car-parking level to improve accessibility.
The retail-street format encourages the diversity and sets of the development which differentiate from other complexes in the area. Bridges have been introduced on the second level to connect the office towers. This allows commerce to flow into the office buildings, and increases the use of the second level by the office workers. The design will help retailers in the buildings attract more customers.
The façades showcase a rich colour texture that combines cold and warm colours of varying grayscales and lightness. It adds individuality to spatial divisions without undermining the architectural integrity, inspiring a different visual imagination among different users. While maintaining a high window-to-wall ratio, the design made small gaps between the vertical louvers so that they become parallel lines when viewed from the side. These details bring great subtlety to the work without incurring any additional costs.At the podium level, a variety of materials have been used to bring diversity to the spaces. Ceramic plates, metal sheets and glass curtain walls help showcase the evolving architectural language.
