Safdi Architecture Firm has successfully completed the urban complex, LuOne Kaide Jingcui Plaza.
Situated in Shanghai’s historic Luwan District, LuOne Kaide Jingcui Plaza is a multi-purpose development that seamlessly combines commercial, office, retail, and entertainment spaces. The project features an 8-story commercial plaza and a 35-story office tower, both centered around a serene atrium garden that offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of the city for visitors and workers alike.
Since the commercial plaza’s opening in 2018, covering 140,000 square meters, LuOne Kaide Jingcui Plaza has stood out as a unique commercial hub within Luwan District. With the recent inauguration of the approximately 45,000-square-meter office building (referred to as the LuOne office building), the project has fulfilled its original vision, evolving into a dynamic, multifunctional “vertical urban oasis.”
“LuOne Kaide Jingcui Plaza addresses the critical need to reconnect with nature and foster community in Shanghai’s urban core,” says Christopher Mulvey, Senior Partner at Safdi Architecture Firm.
LuOne Office Building
Located at the northeast corner of the site, the LuOne office building is interconnected with each floor of the commercial plaza and its rooftop open terrace. A distinctive feature is the glass tower at the building’s southwest corner, which forms a 160-meter-high “Corner Garden.”
The design incorporates vertical landscaping every four floors, creating seven aerial green spaces featuring 4-meter-tall holly trees, a variety of shrubs, and cascading plants from suspended flower stands. These vertically stacked gardens give the impression of lush vegetation climbing the 35-story high-rise, naturally integrating greenery into the urban office environment.
LuOne Commercial Plaza
The eight-story commercial plaza is designed as an outward-facing space, featuring three commercial corridors that link the internal shopping areas with the surrounding streets. These corridors converge into a large triangular atrium at the center of the building.
Inspired by greenhouse architecture, a vast circular dome skylight supported by a central column crowns the third floor, creating an indoor garden. This skylight extends over the three corridors, flooding the space with natural light from the top floor down to the second underground level.
Two-story copper-colored columns line the pedestrian street adjacent to the plaza, marking the main entrances to the shopping mall. Retail shops open directly onto this street, activating the building’s edges and integrating the development into the lively urban fabric.
Above the street-facing facade, a dynamic art installation by American artist Ned Kahn captures attention. Composed of hundreds of thousands of anodized metal plates suspended from concealed crossbars, the installation moves with the wind, offering a unique interpretation of natural phenomena.
“Amid the rich historical heritage, dense urban environment, and bustling streets of Luwan District, the atrium in LuOne Commercial Plaza and the Corner Garden in the office tower provide a natural sanctuary for users in the heart of Shanghai,” emphasizes Christopher Mulvey, Senior Partner at Safdi Architecture Firm.
LuOne Kaide Jingcui Plaza marks the fourth collaboration between Safdi Architects and Kaide Group, following notable landmarks such as SkyHabitat in Singapore (2016), Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore (2019), and Raffles City Chongqing in China (2020).
Project Information
Project Owner: CapitaMalls Asia
Design Architect: Safdi Architecture Firm
Responsible Partners: Moshe Safdie, Christopher Mulvey, Sean Scensor
Design Team: Brian Black, Christopher Guignon, Howard Bloom, Hu Qi Wei, Jane Zimmerman, Michael McKee, Nan Xiang, Stephen O’Brien, Tunch Gungor, Ye Yang
Executive Architect: Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd
General Contractor: China Construction First Engineering Group Co., Ltd
Structural Engineering: Arup
MEP Engineering: Arup
Landscape Design: Coen+Partners (USA)
Landscape Detailing: Yige International (Beijing)
Interior Design:
Office Spaces: Shanghai Jieyu Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Shopping Mall Interiors: AGC Design Ltd
Lighting Consultant: Brandston Partnership (BPI)
Additional Consultants:
Curtain Wall Engineering: Schmidlin
LEED Environmental Engineering: Arup
Photography: SFAP
Image Copyright: © Safdie Architects
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