The West Bund Commercial Park is situated in the heart of Xuhui District in Shanghai, once a key Shanghai transportation, logistics, and manufacturing hub. The Nanpu Railway Eight-line Warehouse Station, which once served as a pivot for water-to-land transshipment, is a historic preservation on the site. Implementing inclusive and organic renewal approaches, the mixed-use development integrates multiple functions into a living entity that merges into the urban fabric while restoring the charm of an industrial relic.
Under a wooden-brick structural system and a three-span-hipped roof, the historic station structure extends 180m east-west across the site and functions as a defining spatial feature. Its west wing remains in place, while the middle and east wings are pushed out to form a street interface. The preserved and renovated station sections establish two axes that connect with the surrounding new structures, including shops, restaurants, and exhibition spaces, and enclose an attractive garden.
A fusion of traditional and modern elements gives the architecture a captivating charm. The roofs morph from a hipped shape to free-form canopies that serve as focal points at the entrances. Parametric design techniques celebrate the structural rhythm by generating variations on the restructured steel trusses and wood-grid ceilings that align precisely with the roof's curve. The original masonry from the relocated wings is interwoven with glass bricks to create the new facade.