Suhewan, the birthplace of modern industry and commerce in China and the vibrant heart of Shanghai, is undergoing a remarkable revival through the implementation of the “One River, One River” urban development strategy. Situated at the majestic confluence of the winding Suzhou River and the Huangpu River, and framed by the iconic skyline of the Bund and riverside, the Suhewan Center—jointly developed by China Resources Land and Xinde Group—collaborates with renowned architectural firms from around the world to deliver a comprehensive revitalization of this world-class site with world-class design.
Ultimate Rational Aesthetics Meet Suhewan
The Suhewan Central Office Building, a striking super high-rise designed by Foster + Partners, stands as the landmark of the entire complex, setting the tone and atmosphere for the project.
At the design’s outset, faced with a site that blends cultural, historical, and modern elements, China Resources Land aimed to honor Suhewan’s rich heritage while meeting the high standards of contemporary, innovative office spaces.
△ Location real scene synthesis
Foster + Partners’ design philosophy emphasizes a rationalist aesthetic—meticulously crafted, pure, and efficient. Rather than focusing on grand theoretical concepts, their approach centers on the human experience within architecture: creating flexible, open collaborative spaces, integrating ecology and natural light into the building. This design ethos is evident from landmarks like the British Museum and HSBC Tower in Hong Kong to Beijing’s T3 Terminal and the Parliament Centre in Berlin—showcasing a subtle yet powerful design language.
As one of the world’s most innovative architectural firms, Foster + Partners’ focus on high-tech, modern corporate spaces made them the natural choice for China Resources Land. Upon receiving this pivotal project, the firm conducted detailed site studies, balancing modern office needs with a response to history through industrial aesthetics, delivering a concise, precise, and powerful design solution.
A Vertical Urban Complex Engaged with Its Surroundings
Suhewan is a thriving urban renewal zone, featuring approximately 42,000 square meters of green parks, open commercial spaces, restored historic architecture, and soaring skyscrapers. Integrating tall towers into such a diverse cityscape poses significant challenges.
Facing the park, the office buildings at Suhewan Center break away from the traditional bulky podium style. Connected at street level by elevated walkways, the design creates an open, unrestricted pedestrian space linking green areas directly to the tower drop-off zones.
On the city-facing side, the tower’s form was vertically segmented into three parts after careful consideration from viewpoints such as Lujiazui and the Bund. This segmentation reduces visual mass, creating a dynamic contrast between the wings and the central section through varied metal finishes, rendering the 200-meter skyscraper slender and agile.
△ South plot office building – green space
The architects devised a creative U-shaped floor plan, placing the core tube on the exposed side. A bank of vertical elevators extends through the façade, offering direct views of the park. This transforms the typically mundane vertical commute into an enjoyable visual experience. At 200 meters high, this landscape elevator is among the tallest in Shanghai.
△ Landscape elevator
As the elevator ascends, it offers panoramic views of Suhewan’s historical transformations seen from the park’s perspective. At the 200-meter summit, visitors witness the convergence of the Huangpu and Suzhou Rivers, the Pudong-Bund skyline intersection, and the juxtaposition of Lujiazui and the Bund’s double bays.
△ South Block Office Building – Landscape
The elevator’s movement creates an engaging visual dialogue between park visitors and office users, fostering daily interaction between the tower and the green space.
△ Bird watching
A Flawless Overall Architectural Design
Examining the Suhewan Center office tower’s architectural details:
The curtain wall features dark glass panes in varying shades, providing visual depth while minimizing reflection interference for neighboring residences. Stainless steel frames and façade detailing echo the industrial aesthetic of Suhewan’s historic steel bridges, enriching the building’s historical context. The contrast between the dark glass and reflective steel produces a distinctive façade. Against Shanghai’s often hazy skies, this gleaming tower is set to become a new regional landmark.
△ South plot office building
Foster + Partners’ spatial aesthetic shines through in the meticulous attention to detail. The lobby features 11.5-meter-high walls adorned with a delicate metallic sheen. Utilizing the world’s first vertical, seamless anodized wave aluminum panels combined with concealed slot assembly technology, the lobby showcases an unparalleled “seamless wall” effect.
△ Lobby
The seamless design extends to the floor, where integrated terrazzo craftsmanship creates a smooth, unified minimalist environment. The resulting bright and airy lobby evokes the feeling of being in a park.
The elevator hall’s ceiling and walls feature a refined metallic finish, seamlessly integrated. An L-shaped dotted lighting design enhances a futuristic, technological, and fluid atmosphere.
△ Elevator hall
The successful realization of the model room overcame numerous challenges involving material selection, craftsmanship, and construction, achieving a faithful representation of Foster + Partners’ original design vision.
△ Toilet
△ Corridor
On the technical front, Foster + Partners consistently delivers leading-edge performance in structural integrity, energy efficiency, and electromechanical systems. For the critical vertical transportation system of this super high-rise, elevator wait times in 5A office buildings typically range up to 60 seconds, sometimes 90 seconds. However, with a 4-4-5 elevator arrangement and optimized dispatch system, Suhewan’s elevator wait times during peak periods drop below 30 seconds.
The building’s floodlighting design balances nighttime aesthetics with interior comfort, ensuring each floor’s outward view remains free from glare. Hidden linear lighting along the north-south main façades enhances the building’s form at night, while vertical lighting integrated into the east-west curtain walls emphasizes the tower’s soaring presence. Key architectural elements—the crown, entrance canopy, and elevator cars—feature wall-wash and internal illumination to create a layered, dynamic nighttime silhouette. During holidays and festivals, RGB color modes add festive vibrancy.
△ South Block Office Building – Lighting
△ Flood lighting: Festival mode (left); Weekday mode (right)
Transformative and Human-Centered Office Spaces
High-rise towers typically face strict structural safety requirements, resulting in numerous columns that reduce usable floor space. At Suhewan Central Office Building, the structural layout is optimized by concentrating columns on the periphery of each floor slab, creating truly column-free interior spaces that maximize efficiency.
To enhance visual appeal, the design overcomes strict wind and sealing requirements at the tower’s corners. The side facing the Bund features six fully glazed corners extending floor-to-ceiling, allowing sunlight to flood the interior and providing unobstructed panoramic views.
△ South plot office building – glass corner
The U-shaped layout significantly increases the number of exterior-facing walls, aligning with today’s demand for healthier, more open workspaces, ensuring natural light and scenic views for all occupants.
Addressing the need for supporting amenities beyond the office, the tower’s crown space is dedicated to the SKY LOUNGE—a premium business and social venue ideal for elite gatherings, high-end events, and professional salons. Adjacent to the SKY LOUNGE is a 200-meter-high rooftop garden, an unparalleled urban oasis offering sweeping views of the historic Bund and Pudong across the river.
Here, China Resources Land’s ambition is clear: to provide a flexible, luminous tower that caters to diverse corporate needs at various stages, while delivering the best views and an elegant atmosphere in Shanghai.
A Bustling and Vibrant Urban Culture
At the heart of Suhewan Center stands the Central Office Building, surrounded by a network of global design collaborations. China Resources Land has woven together complex urban functions—including Green Bay Park, the restored Shenyu Lane, Wanxiang Tiandi commercial district, and upscale residences—gradually creating a thriving urban ecosystem.
△ Green space overlooking
This area is ideal not only for strolling and relaxation but also for hosting diverse events like art exhibitions, festivals, and celebrations. Centered in the park is Wanda Plaza, part of the CR Wanda series. The seamless integration of open commercial spaces and above-ground parks, combined with natural circulation and thoughtful connections to landscape axes, links interior and exterior architecture fluidly.
△ Open Business
On the park’s northern edge—separated by a road—stands a 100-meter office tower and two headquarters-style standalone office buildings. These maximize views and the landscape advantages of Suhewan’s central area. Rooftop terraces facing the city provide restful spaces during busy workdays. Together with the super high-rise tower, they are poised to become highlights of Puxi’s Suzhou River skyline, forming an international-standard architectural ensemble.
△ North plot office building
At the park’s edge, landmarks like Tianhou Palace—designated as a “site of major urban events”—and the carefully restored Shenyu Lane are more than mere historic relics. Their revitalization has infused Suhewan with a thriving commercial atmosphere.
△ Shenyu Li
△ Tianhou Palace
This urban diversity creates a rich and vibrant city experience. Along the Suzhou River, one can observe busy white-collar professionals commuting through cloud-like office towers, modern urban youth enjoying Shanghai’s cultural and commercial districts, and local residents leisurely strolling through the Central Park. This dynamic scene—from dawn to dusk—breathes life into Suhewan Center, fostering a truly 24-hour urban vitality. This elevated urban experience reflects China Resources Land’s vision for future city life.
In the future, as the layers of history and human ingenuity unfold before you, you will come to understand the city’s past, its memories, and its path forward.
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