0
1000+
Trees
18
Floors
5.9 ha
Area
4
Functions
The Concept
1000 Trees has been built in the north of Shanghai's city centre along the edge of Suzhou Creek. The greenery adds more than just a novel touch to shopping, hotel and cultural experiences. The construction resembles Huangshan Mountain which is partly where the inspiration for such a building came from. As well as adding something new to the area, an old warehouse and mill have been preserved at the centre of the development and the rear of the building incorporates art scenes allowing it to add to the M50 arts district of which it is part of.
British Heatherwick Studio became an important name in design in Shanghai following their design of the UK Pavilion at the 2010 Expo in the city. One other notable work of theirs is a new Google campus in California. The studio sought to avoid another skyscraper in a city which is filled with them and instead planned a green mountain.
Hundreds of columns help distribute the weight of the trees and each widens at the top to create a planter with a tree and a variety of hanging plants inside. The columns are tied back to support the floors and provide extra stability while the choice of trees and plants was no easy decision either. More than half of the plants are evergreen ensuring a lush color throughout the year.
now and the future
On the riverside of the construction is a new public park and pathway while the city-side has paintings and graffiti art which was created by, or inspired by, artists working at the neighbouring M50 (50 Moganshan Road).
While this stage of the project is pretty much completed, the next phase, which includes a 100m tower, won't be finished until 2024.
The finished project will include a large shopping mall, an arts and craft school, numerous restaurants, several museums and galleries. Office and hotel space will be added to the next phase of the project
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