Zhangjiang Cement Plant Project is an ambitious urban rejuvenation project, with 28 total buildings designed by many world-renowned architects domestically in China and abroad, including high-profile names such as Tadao Ando, Jaques Ferrier, and Ma Yansong. The project broke ground in July 2023, with planned completion in 2027. This immense effort is led by the joint-development team of Shanghai Real Estate Group and Zhangjiang Group, with a total investment of more than 6.7 billion yuan and a construction area of about 440,000 square meters. The project aims to become a model for sustainable urban renewal, a hub for science and technology innovation, and a humanistic district that integrates industry and the local community.
Historic Icon in Shanghai Science & Technology Center
Zhangjiang Cement Plant Project is in a lucrative location within the Golden Central Development Belt of the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China. The site is adjacent to the Chuanyang River and is part of the larger Zhangjiang region’s motivation to create a colorful riverside innovation corridor. While this area was once farmland and villages more than 30 years ago, it has become the beacon of Shanghai Innovation.
The existing Zhangjiang Cement Factory is one of the “golden treasures” of Zhangjiang. The factory was formerly known as Chuansha Smelter and was founded in 1971. It was later changed into a cement industrial plant, becoming one of three major cement factories in Shanghai. Although it stopped cement production in 2013, its core location in the center of Zhangjiang led to proposals and plans to rejuvenate this site into an industrial heritage. The vision of this project was to create harmony between historical restoration and novel creativity. Various global competitions determined the selection of the 12 architects for the project. Famous designers were also invited to consider the landscape design and integration of public art to achieve a vibrant and attractive industrial community.
Balance Between Old and New
In efforts to preserve the historical industrial identity of the site, three existing historical industrial relics were retained, which are the 10,000-meter warehouse, cement silos, and kiln tail tower. These structures have very distinctive shapes for architects and designers to incorporate their creative interpretations. The aim was to retain the “historical imprint” of the place and allow creative exploration and adaptive reuse of the site, integrating old and new to transform it into an exciting, vibrant environment.
Tadao Ando Architect and Associates’ redesign of the existing cement silos is a perfect example of old and new integration. This firm was tasked with addressing the existing silos on the site. While some of the silos were intentionally left as existing, others are dynamically cut at an angle to increase daylighting and recreate a new breathtaking interior experience. The firm also added a central plaza and pedestrian walkway that extends to the 10,000-meter warehouse, another project designed by Ma Yansong. The new modern central square with a reflective pool creates connections to other elements on the site and unifies old and new elements together.
Innovative Design of New Structures
The site also provides new structures, which include R&D office buildings, and commercial, cultural, and sports facilities. The design of R&D office buildings designed by Atelier Ping Jiang | EID Arch is one of many new developments on the site. In charge of the design of a parcel on the northeasternmost region of the site, this firm designed 3 R&D buildings consisting of one 100 meters tall and two 70 meters tall. The building facade creates a humanistic scale and directly relates to the industrial heritage renovation buildings. Considering its adjacency to Tadao Ando’s design, the main building uses a play of vertical curved perforated plates reminiscent of the curved forms of the existing cement silos. Green terraces within the three buildings generate interactive business space. These buildings on Plot A also target a China 3 Star Green Building Evaluation Label and LEED Gold Certification Level.
Sustainable Urban Development
Like many urban developments in the Zhangjiang Science City area, the Zhangjiang Cement Plant Project landscape design utilizes a “sponge city” design framework. As a “sponge tech park,” the site utilizes permeable paving, bioswale fields, and greenery on the ground floor and roof. This overall landscape design strategy minimizes loads on city stormwater management and ensures the site adapts to natural disasters caused by heavy rains or storms.
Each of the designs of the 12 architects involved in the Zhangjiang Cement Plant Project will be released to the public one at a time. Therefore, there will be more to learn about these designs in detail and the contributions to the project in due time.
Most “industrial parks” developed in this region are purely for R&D purposes. However, this project aims to integrate R&D with other public facilities and bring together cultural heritage and innovative design, integrating elements of work and play. The site is also surrounded by affordable housing, making this an accessible amenity for the local community. The rejuvenation of this site ultimately integrates the city and residents into a vibrant community and has cultural and artistic elements to attract young people to create a vibrant community.
References:
Li, X. (2021). Pudong’s planning focus: A colorful riverside and ‘golden’ middle ring road, SHINE: Beyond a Single Story. [online]. Available at: https://www.shine.cn/biz/economy/2108103756/ [Accessed: 07 January 2024].
Shanghai Real Estate Group (2023). 张江之尚：可持续城市更新的样本，打造产城融合的科创高地和人文街区 (2023) Zhang Jiang Zhishang. [online] Available at: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rwn90OIBuFI_L_wjYS_88Q (Accessed: 07 January 2024).
Zhao, E. (2023). Shanghai Pudong new area zhangjiang cement plant project commences–Seetao, 新基建工程-施工建设项目-国内外工程施工-新闻资讯-见道网. [online]. Available at: https://www.seetao.com/details/221235.html (Accessed: 07 January 2024).
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