Shanghai C&D Building / gad


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang
  • Architects: gad
  • Location: No.32 Qinhuangdao Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
  • Lead Architects: Xiaohua Liao
  • Area: 52341.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2017
  • Photographs: Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

Text description provided by the architects. In the morning at the Qinhuangdao Road Ferry of Shanghai North Bund, people have already started the daily busy stuff. Once, it was the port dock for trade transportation of Shanghai. Now, there are still relics in old time, such as the former shipyard site, the warehouse architecture, dock ferry etc.


Position

Position

C&D Building is located to the north of the Qinhuangdao Road Ferry. Lujiazui core business district stands on the opposite. The ambition and prudence, the breakthrough and balance of a city are just across the river. 


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

Architectural intention: Abstract extraction of elements

Dock culture in Shanghai has a long history. The existing Qinhuangdao Road Ferry seems the mark of the port dock in old days. Now, it still plays the role of connecting the transportation on the two banks.


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

Starting from the dock culture in Shanghai C&D Building, we extract the container element as the architectural intention, which respects and responds to the old relics of the site and also implies the active momentum of rising.


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

The overlapping form of the architectural mass as well as the overhanging up to 9m highlight the distinct industrial temperament of the architecture. The irregular movement reinforces the mass sense of the building, and creates the sight scattering of internal space. 

There are three atrium spaces in the office area, with a height of 5 floors, forming natural transition from office space to outdoor space. You may see the unique skyline of the upright buildings at the bund in the south and the urban view with co-existence of old and new buildings in Yangpu District.


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

Space and Flow Line: Clear Response to the Site

C&D Building is located at the Metro stop Yangshupu Road. The modern transportation ways in the area such as metro and bus connects the transportation vein on the two banks in series as well as in and out of the area. Since the project is over the metro and considering the complicated conditions of existing public transport hub, we solve by applying logical function division and flow line origination.


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

The 3-floor podium stretches over the metro passage. The restriction conditions make the construction process more difficult. To ensure safe and orderly construction, we try to explore sufficient space for the construction by way of retreating for 10 meters. The planning of bus flow line effectively relieves the pressure brought by overlapping of vehicles flow and pedestrians. The design of covered glass roof make the architectural building and the bus hub into an entirety.


Plan

Plan

After the planning of transportation flow line, two routes running through the architectures are formed. Metro, bus and dock closely connects here, making C&D Building into the important transportation hub of this area. At the same time, we try best to take the comfort of the pedestrian into consideration, and realize the architectural function independence, space abundance and industrial richness.


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

Facade and Material: Active Infusion into Environment 

To ensure the transparency of the atrium and the simplicity of architectural appearance, single cable glass curtain wall is adopted for the north of the architecture. The cable is used to consolidate the glass in a while. The linear elements of the architecture in facade organization presents dynamic expression in solidified form. The traverse lines dispel the tension of dimension while the vertical lines stress the uprightness of the architecture. The alternative line appearance render better identification degree of C&D Building. 


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

The selection of glass material with low reflectivity reduces urban light pollution due to light reflection, making it to infuse into the neighborhood modestly.


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang

Space/Time 
Facing the opportunity of urban development and update, gad architects hope to prudently handle the relationship between the architecture and environment with a tolerant and rational attitude, and do not want to be in a rash. They aim to realize co-existence and co-reliance of space and time, which could well connect the past and future.


© Jinrong Huang

© Jinrong Huang