Tall & Urban News

Construction has begun on the Huamu Lot 10 mixed-use project, located within Shanghai’s Huamu Civic District. Situated adjacent to the future Shanghai Museum East, the 279,000-square-meter project is anchored by a central plaza that will serve as a key urban connection to the museum and surrounding cultural institutions. Along with the revitalized Zhangjiabang Canal, the burgeoning Civic District is expected to draw over five million people to the area per year, solidifying it as an important cultural hub in Shanghai.

The Huamu Lot 10 project is currently seeking LEED Gold and China 3 Star as sustainability benchmarks. “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,” says the project’s senior designer, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) Senior Associate Principal Katsu Shigemi.

Additional sustainable design strategies include rainwater collection systems, which will divert and store storm water runoff for irrigation and cooling towers, reducing potable water use in the building. Vegetative roofs will further reduce runoff and provide roof insulation that protects the building’s waterproof membrane and reduces the urban heat island effect. Co-generation, combined with an absorption chiller, will provide electricity, heat, and chilled water by capturing waste heat. The development’s integrated public transit connections also encourage more sustainable forms of transportation.

According to a KPF press release, Huamu Lot 10 will contribute to the public realm with an active plaza designed to accommodate large-scale artwork, while the project’s three towers will feature cantilevered elements at a uniform  height to create a visually connected “Sky Gallery”.

“The three soaring Sky Galleries are among the largest and most identifiable cantilevers in the city, each launching out over 9 meters,” says KPF Design Principal Jeffrey A. Kenoff. “Their intent is to activate the mid-point of the towers as a means of engaging the pedestrian street, while simultaneously marking the project within the distinct skyline.”

On track for completion in 2022, “the structure will be above grade in October and the façade will be applied shortly thereafter,” says the project’s Technical Coordinator, KPF Associate Principal Eric Engdahl. “While most of the structure is reinforced concrete, we are using steel trusses for the major structural moves, including an art gallery that cantilevers 25 meters over the public plaza.”

“We conceived of Huamu Lot 10 as an integrated place of culture and commerce,” says Kenoff. Upon completion, the new complex will not only fuse together several diverse programs and spaces for workers and visitors to the district, it will also serve as a catalyst to reinvigorate the civic district’s new waterfront.

For more on this story go to KPF.