gmp · von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects

The former French Concession in the heart of Shanghai is known for its typical rectilinear development – the Li Long. Li stands for neighborhood, and Long refers to the narrow rectilinear streets separating the buildings. This urban morphology, which is typical of Shanghai, creates narrow and intimate urban spaces.

The design for SOHO Fuxing Lu, an urban quarter with restaurants, shops and offices primarily intended for young start-up companies, adopts the scale and orientation of the neighboring blocks, integrates existing historic buil- dings and, in this way, adds to the important urban seam in the inner city using the existing urban development structure.

The ensemble consists of nine oblong building blocks with sloping roofs and an east-west orientation, and a high- rise building which provides a more general reference to the urban landscape.

Within the confines of this precinct, a network of pathways and small alleys converges at a central square with restaurants. A circular access provides entry to commercial facilities in the basement and to the underground railway. The façades and roofs have been clad with light natural stone strips of different widths. The dark grey metal elements of the glass façades provide a contrast to these strips.

The abstract pattern image of the façades and the omission of any historic references underscore the urban focus of the project in the center of the city.
On completion, the project obtained the LEED Gold certificate.

Design
Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Stephan Rewolle

Project management – competition
Su Jun

Team members – competition
Stefan Hornscheidt, Li Zheng, Zhou Bin, Zhang Jing

Project management – detailed design
Matthias Wiegelmann, Kong Jing

Team members – detailed design
Cai Yu, Guo Fuhui, Kornelia Krzykowska, Li Ling, Sebastian Linack, Xie Fang, Thilo Zehme, Zhang Yingying, Zheng Shanshan, Zhou Bin, Catharina Cragg, Dai Tianxing, Gao Rui, Hua Rong, Wu Hua, Yuan Hang, Zhang Xuhui

Client
SOHO China

Chinese partner practice
ECADI (East China Architectural Design & Research Institute CO. LTD)

Lighting design
CONCEPTLICHT GMBH

GFA, total above ground
71,565 m2

GFA, total below ground
64,975 m2

Retail area
85,661 m2

Office area
50,879 m2

Height of high-rise building
99.85 m