SHORT DESCRIPTION

Located on Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek, Shanghai Suhe MixC World blurs boundaries between the city’s past, present and future. The project’s starting point was rethinking commercial spaces to better integrate with their surroundings. The design opted to present a brand-new public space in the city: a riverside green land with cultural and leisure facilities, incorporating a subterranean commercial area. Taking a holistic approach to the project, Kokaistudio’s vision was that of an urban valley. The commercial space is located inside the valley; while its sides take the form of stepped access points. An attractive public space for local residents and visitors alike, it injects welcome greenery and fresh possibilities into this previously overlooked corner of Shanghai. Physical connections between the public green land and commercial space are made visible by six overground openings. Designed to merge with the ground-level green area so as to blur boundaries between above and below, their organic-shape curves incorporate planted steps transitioning down into the space. With escalators alongside for accessibility, entrances merge with the surrounding landscape, with only their canopies visible from the green land above. Another entrance is via the new four-floor commercial building. Physically connecting the site’s two halves is a new footbridge crossing Fujian North Road. It is the location of a primary access point to the mall below. Further linking above and below is a pair of artworks by AllRightsReserved and Inges Idee. Family Orchestra, is a giant sculpture of two cartoon elephants gazing at each other. Striking a similarly playful tone, Up We Go! features a child seemingly mid-stride as he steps through the landscape and out of one of the green land’s openings. The character's elongated legs, which traverse both basement levels to emerge on the terraced slope above, create a connection between above and below.