Life Hub @ Bund Central, a mixed-use complex comprising of a retail mall and a 180m-tall office tower, is a key component in the urban regeneration of the larger Hongkou Lot 18 in Shanghai.

The project brief detailed the redevelopment of a 4.6ha city block to accommodate retail, commercial and cultural functions, which features Gongyi-Fang, one of the largest conserved in-situ ‘shiku-men’ neighbourhoods, as well as Shanghainese Cultural Centre and the Shanghai Literature Museum. 

A Composed City Gallery

Along the south, the project anchors the junction of Haining Road and North Sichuan Road. The office tower rises as a series of stacked blocks, facing towards The Bund. Sliding into the podium, the mall presents itself as a City Gallery with retail boxes and open terraces, accented by the City Window. The façade features textured striations of grey stone and aluminium that reference the existing urban fabric and break down the scale of the development. 

The Garden Walk

Swinging to the north, an animated Garden Walk defines the interface between the new and old. At the ground level, Festive Plazas invite public participation, drawing people in to explore the Garden Walk above. This continuous route organically weaves shopfronts, living green walls and outdoor terraces up along the northern facade, with strategic accesses at every level, culminating at the Sky Theatre. The Garden Walk curves in response to the boundaries of the rectilinear and multi-axial conserved buildings, forming a theatrical viewing gallery looking into the Heritage Zone.

Subverting the Traditional Retail Experience

Two Sky Courts puncture the mall from above to bring in natural light, while an outdoor dining space overlooks the main atrium on the fifth floor. The seventh floor features a restored Jiang-nan style stage pavilion, creating a unique cultural destination. The Garden Walk and Sky Courts work in tandem to subvert the traditional black-box model through the interplay of indoor and outdoor spaces that transform the mall into an urban park.

By relooking into the form of commercial mixed developments, Life Hub @ Bund Central offers new experiential and commercial possibilities, inviting locals and visitors alike to immerse themselves in the heritage and a century of urban transitions.