The project is a mixed-use project completed in three phases, including commercial space, Grade A office buildings, headquarters offices, and apartments. The plot is irregular in shape, with an urban green belt running through it in the higher-level planning. The lengthy development process and the scattered layout of sites pose challenges to the integrity of the project. Nonetheless, how to build an attractive new block is a point to be considered in the design.

Located between the middle ring and the inner ring in Putuo District, Shanghai Changfeng Center is adjacent to Changfeng Park and surrounded by mature urban facilities. It is born out of upgrades and expectations for this mature region. Based on the urban design of Foster + Partners, GOA worked on the planning and architectural design of the entire 10-hectare plot.

The planning idea was soon proposed, “To shape three clusters with courtyards (about 150m*250m in size) in order to meet needs in different phases and serve certain functions, and strengthen the space order of the whole block and the links between clusters through a strong public space.” The three clusters are respectively the apartment & SOHO cluster on the east side, the headquarters office cluster in a twelve-grid pattern in the southwest corner, and the block commerce & Grade A office cluster in the northwest corner. In the initial planning drawings, the building clusters and courtyards were strictly aligned along the axis.

Connecting the three clusters, the landscape green belts constitute a green transportation hub of the whole block, and serve as the green core of the whole block. The public space is taken into account as a complete system, from landscape green belts to inner courtyards, from the green space between buildings to the square. This way of thinking has run through all three phases of the project, thus ensuring the integrity of the block.

The public space blurs the boundary between clusters. Architects dealt with it through space permeation, and the permeation of green landscape is a striking clue.

The central green belt about 30m wide is enlarged into a 110m*90m garden on the north side. Around the garden, the architects “broke up” the annex buildings into parts, blurring their boundaries between the building and the green belt through volume segmentation, pixelated design, and terraces. The three-dimensional paths allow people to travel between the green belt and the commercial and office space, bringing them a wealth of views and feelings. Seen from the public green belt, the building clusters, like staggered, overhanging and stacked boxes, form a vivid and pleasant view.

The headquarters office cluster consists of 10 four-storey dotted buildings with roof terraces, which are arranged in a twelve-grid pattern, connected and staggered in some parts to break the monotony. Together, these buildings enclose a tranquil rectangular garden and the whole cluster is integrated with the ground landscape.

The four-storey building is in perfect harmony with tree canopies of the same height, and the landscape is reflected in the extremely flat glass façade. From many perspectives, the buildings seem to disappear in a lush green. In the buildings, there are transition spaces facing the green belt where people can stay and light and wind can pass through, and the green plants in the garden extend to people’s feet. The infiltration of landscape and view blur the boundary between inside and outside, lending an elegant and flexible atmosphere to the box-like buildings.

The commercial cluster covers an area of about 40,000m2, mainly serving the office workers in the block and the permanent residents in the surrounding communities. With the focus on public space throughout the project, the project team wanted the commercial space to be open rather than closed, with a full connection to the outside. A “block” layout was thus determined. Compared with a closed shopping mall, this open layout is “closer” to the surrounding communities, and can better meet the office workers’ needs for shopping and leisure at various times of the day. The route of movement unfolds along “square - loop pedestrian street”. The commercial space is open 24 hours a day as an extension of city streets.

With sufficient sunlight and fresh air, the pedestrian street features lighting ceiling made of unit-typed metal grilles and glass for creating strong and bright lighting effects on sunny days. According to the commercial operation logics, the pedestrian street is arranged with anchor shops with larger depth, mainly restaurants on the side near the city street; while on the side near the inner square, the space is divided to accommodate smaller shops in terms of business type.

With a size of 60m*30m and a depth-width ratio of nearly 1:3, the square is paved with hard materials to meet the needs of diversified activities. The third floor of the commercial building features a protruding terrace with a folded contour, which is intended to be used as an outer space for bars and light food restaurants, and allows good visual interaction with the square floor.

During the design of commercial climate, more scenarios have been implanted into the commercial space. The arch at the entrance, red metal grilles and etc. are like “furniture” in the street, making the street more intimate and interesting.

The design idea of “making change in basic order” extends to the deliberation of materials and details. All material modulus has been controlled uniformly to ensure a sense of order and domain; meanwhile, hierarchical design and local introduction of diverse materials create a rich, lively atmosphere for users.

The façades of three Grade A office buildings are mainly indigo glass curtain walls, with unified partition modulus. Besides, the application of perforated aluminum plates allows for two ways of opening windows; in this way, the single glass curtain wall façade presents a distinct contrast between open and closed windows. Some details, including steel canopy suspended above the ground and crispening of the unit-typed curtain wall, convey a sense of delicacy.

The partition modulus for the headquarters office building are the same as that for the Grade A office building. Meanwhile, stone surfaces are used to make the design more approachable, more suitable for the warm atmosphere of the inner garden. In the parts connected with the landscape, the use of ultra-clear glass allows people to look through.

The commercial space features a warm tone, and the collage of various materials and colors creates a lively atmosphere. As far as glass is concerned, there are insulating low-E glass with different light transmittance and color, glazed glass, and high-transmittance glass. In addition, different kinds of stone and perforated aluminum plates are also introduced. The application of perforated aluminum plates at multiple parts not only meets the ratio of glass curtains to walls as required in urban design rules, but also meets the needs of light projection.

It is not easy to maintain and implement the original aspiration after nine years of development in several phases. This process requires the team to have a holistic view and the architects to think beyond the boundary line of a single plot. In the end, the project team delivered a responsible result. Through rigorous planning and design, systematic arrangement of public space, and whole-process control of spatial details, a “unified and rich” block full of vitality has been built for the city.