Alsop Design Ltd Shanghai Studio won the appointment to master plan the site for Shanghai’s new International Cruise Terminal in early 2004. The Shanghai-based design team completed the master plan in the same year and was subsequently appointed to deliver the architecture of the Commercial and Entertainment District in two phases.In 2009, Alsop Design Ltd rebranded in Asia and became SPARCH. The original design team, under its new name SPARCH, went on to complete the design of the Cruise Terminal Commercial and Entertainment District (Phases 1 & 2) in the same year.The 800-metre long riverfront site is conveniently located north of the historical ‘Bund’ centre of Shanghai, and will become a new gateway into the metropolis, accommodating three 80,000-tonne cruise ships at any one time. This is in response to numerous cruise companies competing to include Shanghai on their Southeast Asian routes.SPARCH created a ‘Chorus Line’ of buildings of an appropriate scale to sit comfortably beside three 80,000-tonne cruise ships that will dock alongside. This question of scale is critical in terms of how the scheme is perceived from Shanghai’s famous Bund to the south.To create a strong visual presence befitting of a 21st century continuation of the Bund, SPARCH wrapped the buildings in a fluid steel and glass solar skin which tied the scheme together visually. At the same time, the team created a continuous gallery space dubbed the 'Shanghai Chandelier' which contains green hanging gardens. The glass facades peel out along the base to shelter a pedestrian route along the newly formed public park. When dusk falls, the lights exposes a delightful layer of ‘amethyst’ crystal balconies inside a 400-metre long herringbone steel and glass skin, clearly visible from the historical Bund to the south.“The client was extremely supportive of our proposal to create high quality public spaces which offer new experiences. People can rise through a ‘climbing frame’ of activities, passing through a series of floating ‘Faberge Eggs’ to experience spectacular views of Shanghai in a brand new way. We see the 'Shanghai Chandelier' as an archway of delight, extending an open invitation: all are welcome, admission is free,’’ said John Curran, SPARCH Project Director.This development also represents a first in Shanghai for sustainability, incorporating ‘River Water Cooling Technology’ – utilising water from the Huang Pu River as a refrigerant to cool and thereby greatly reduce the buildings’ energy consumption during the summer months.Shanghai municipality has an estimated population of 20 million (registered 16.74 million, floating migrant population of 3.5 million) which is nearly equal to the population of Australia, but compressed within an area of 6,340 sq km. The Shanghai Authorities have had to address the urgent requirement to open up ‘breathing spaces’, and bravely set down a target to free up 30 percent of the municipality as open space for its citizens to enjoy, ahead of the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, the theme of which is ‘Better City, Better Life’. The Cruise Terminal Site forms part of this vision to create a green corridor along the Huangpu River, eventually extending as far south as the Expo site itself, between the Lu Pu and Nan Pu bridges.The design of the architecture for the cruise terminal site considered the Herculean scale of the cruise ships that will dock alongside. The total construction area is 260,000 sqm, but the brief required that 50 percent of this be placed underground, including the cruise terminal passenger facilities on the adjacent plot (designed by Frank Repas Architects), thus freeing up most of the site as a green park terracing down to the water’s edge. SPARCH’s challenge was how to deal with the ‘under world’ as well as the architecture rising out of it. Their solution was to create ambiguity as to where the ground plane is, by opening up a honeycomb of sunken courtyards. The six cruise shipheadquarter buildings appear to disappear into these sculpted holes, providing abundant opportunities to explore connections between the ground and ‘lower ground’ levels. The concept also explored the idea of ripples in the landscape being amplified into standing crystal waves that wrap over the buildings. This augmented over time into a second skin that protects the commercial office spaces from their due south orientation, and is populated with semi outdoor balcony spaces overlooking the Huangpu River. The riverfront faces the city, and illuminates at night into a herring bone array of delicate curved masts that visually tie the pavilion buildings together. An intriguing gap appears in the middle – a glazed table top supports a spell binding composition of pods swimming through space on a web of cables. One, two and four-storey pods contain cafes, bars, restaurants and public exhibition spaces, floating over a public performance space below. The Client – the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal Ltd, having considered schemes put forward by 3 other international architects, believed there was a symbiosis between Shanghai’s fun loving desire for diversity, and SPARCH’s approach to design, that has made this architecture a reality.The Public RealmThe Cruise Terminal Commercial and Entertainment District will be one of the most eye-catching landmarks along Shanghai’s waterfront. The brief programmed the site with public attractions along its 400-metre long pedestrian street, a sequence of event spaces blossom from sunken courtyards, including an outdoor performance arena, a Media Garden for festival events and a Food Court. The pedestrian street flows from the west, leading to a Crystal Art Gallery marking the east end.The ‘Shanghai Chandelier’ forms the centerpiece of the site, its 40-metre tall glass clad portal creates a dramatic city stage addressing the public park and the waterfront, where thousands of people can gather to participate in festivals. The portal structure is designed to deploy a 40-metre wide by 30-metre tall gauze screen for digital projections.The green public park is also a sculpture garden animated with artwork placed in the grass clearings between the trees, and illuminated at night by backlit glass prism skylights rising out of the landscape.Phase 1, comprising of the 6 cruise ship head quarter buildings along the waterfront was completed early this year. Phase 2, comprising the center piece – the Shanghai Chandelier along with the high rise tower behind, will be completed in 3 months time.Environmental Innovation – River Water CoolingArup Engineers designed a ‘River Water Cooling System’, a first in Shanghai for a commercial application, which will draw water from the Huang Pu River and combine it, via heat exchangers, with the HVAC system. This system will greatly reduce the energy consumption of the buildings during the summer months.All six office pavilions contain ventilated atria, topped with louvered skylights. During mid-season, air circulates through the facades across the office spaces towards the central atrium where it exhausts at the top. Pixelated window openings across the office façades provide local comfort cooling. Large doors open onto generous balconies along the south side, within a double skin façade, overlooking the Huang Pu River. The outer skin contains a solar shading frit to protect the interiors from their due south orientation.As part of the Mayor’s bid to socially and economically regenerate this part of Shanghai, the Cruise Terminal District combines creative innovation with low carbon technologies, to deliver a new and vibrant destination in Shanghai.