Shanghai, China 2013–

Shanghai Expo tower

Located on the Huangpu River and adjacent to the Powerstation of Art, the Shanghai Expo Tower forms a key part of the reconfiguration plans for the 2010 Shanghai Expo grounds. Following a competition won in 2013, the brief consists of commercial mixed-use, with a total of 60,000m2 of retail and varied office typologies.

The massing concept consists of three stacked volumes breaking down the traditional podium and tower composition and creating a strong dialogue with the urban context. The volume’s stepped form references the Powerstation of Art as the dominant element on the skyline and simultaneously creates landscaped terraces facing the river at the fifth and tenth levels. The tower rises to its maximum height at northwest corner facing the highway and steps down to a more human scale facing the river and the Powerstation of Art plaza. Internally, the volumes are shaped by multi-story top-lit atria and influenced by the terraces natural landscape and large façade openings facing the river.

The façade is designed using vertical fins of warm brown glazed terracotta with a considerable depth to emphasize the verticality of the building and provide natural sun shading. At night each fin is illuminated and the gardens are back lit, allowing the building to become a distinctive addition to the Shanghai skyline.

Project startCompletion dueGross floor areaClientArchitectPartnersProject architects

Structural and services engineerLandscape architectFaçade engineerMEP engineer

2013202258,000m²Shanghai Expo Riverside Property Co., Ltd.David Chipperfield Architects Berlin and ShanghaiDavid Chipperfield, Libin Chen, Mark RandelMiguel Bispo, Christoph Goeke, Chuxiao Li, Mathilde Planchot, Diana Schaffrannek

ECADI (East China Architectural Design Institute)Fish Landscape Design Co,. LtdSchmidlin Facade Consultancy Co., Ltd.WSP Global Inc

Shanghai Expo tower