A new shopping centre in Shanghai by Thomas Heatherwick

British designer Thomas Heatherwick unveiled a plant-covered shopping centre in Shanghai, China, with over 1,000 trees and 250,000 plants.

The nine-story structure, dubbed “1,000 Trees” after the number of trees planted, was designed to resemble a green-covered mountain.

Also Read: A spiral ramp surrounds an arts centre in China.

The block, located near the M50 art district and the Suzhou Creek, was made public last month.

Heatherwick Studio’s most recent images reveal the exterior and interior of the project for developer Tian An during the day and night.

The structure of the retail development is made up of a grid of concrete columns arranged at a 45-degree angle to the river.

Each column is topped by a planter containing a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, and hanging plants.

Also Read: A new shopping centre in Shanghai by Thomas Heatherwick

Over 1,000 trees and 250,000 plants have been planted in total around the building.

Heatherwick hopes that the grid and numerous planters will help to break down the mass of the development’s 166 retail units.

“The goal of 1,000 Trees is to transform cities into social spaces,” he says.

It subdivides the monolithic scale of a typical retail development into a slew of human-scale spaces. I believe it will have a transformative effect on the residents and workers in this densely populated residential area.

The building houses 62,706 square metres of retail space divided into 12 flagship locations, 91 shops, and 63 food and beverage outlets.

A food court and a supermarket are located in the basement, while shops and restaurants are located on the building’s top five floors.

The building has been adorned with a series of artworks curated by French street artist Paul Dezio. Sixteen artists were commissioned to create works for the elevator shaft, including a 40-meter-high mural.

Meanwhile, the development’s street-facing wall has been covered in street art.

The shopping centre, dubbed the West Mountain, is the site’s first development phase. It will be followed by East Mountain, a 19-story structure that will house offices and a hotel.

The development is Heatherwick Studio’s latest to incorporate significant planting. The studio recently unveiled a skyscraper in Singapore with plant-filled balconies and a Maggie’s Centre in Leeds, United Kingdom.

Heatherwick Studio is also responsible for New York’s Little Island park and outdoor theatre and is currently working on a “giant planted pergola” in Tokyo.

Written By Tannu Sharma | Subscribe To Our Telegram Channel To Get Latest Updates And Don’t Forget To Follow Our Social Media Handles Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter. To Get the Latest Updates From Arco Unico