Shanghai Electric Daning Media Park, formerly the Shanghai Relay Factory, is situated in the Laozhabei Industrial Zone of Shanghai. The site retains two four-story workshops alongside four single or two-story auxiliary buildings. The area is lush with dense vegetation, featuring tall trees interspersed among the structures.
The renovation project preserves the original layout and greenery of the park, transforming it into one of the few low-density, highly green office and commercial parks within the urban area. The building renovation presents a cohesive overall appearance, while each of the six individual buildings is given a unique character through the use of similar materials arranged and combined thoughtfully. This approach creates a harmonious yet distinct architectural cluster within the city.
The two four-story workshops have been converted into office spaces. The eastern building emphasizes horizontal flow and contrasts in material textures. Its facade features continuously changing directions of slotted cement pressure plates, silver perforated Great Wall panels, and silver aluminum veneers. A large glass section on the north facade overlooks the garden, with solid aluminum panels covering the structural columns behind the opening fan. This design eliminates the typical industrial building frame appearance by cleverly concealing beams and columns within the facade composition.
The office building facing Linwanrong Road retains much of the industrial character of the original structure. A steel staircase has been added along the street-facing mountain wall, overlapping the original beams and columns to create a distinctive urban façade. After turning, the steel staircase extends northward, becoming the public frontage of the north facade. The north facade and the roof corridor boldly incorporate inflatable ETFE membrane materials as the exterior cladding and ceiling, creating an industrial sci-fi ambiance. This air cushion acts as both corridor railing and a carrier for nighttime lighting, serving as the park’s iconic interface facing the city and commercial areas.
The single-story commercial buildings lining the street feature undulating metal sloped roofs that extend low along the tranquil Yonghe Road. These roofs transition to alternating flat roof heights on the side facing the inner street. The facades use silver perforated panels combined with extended mesh. At the eastern end of this long row stands a towering metal box, originally the distribution room. It preserves the industrial building’s high ceiling and raw concrete beams. The corrugated galvanized steel panel is lifted toward the square, resembling an open gift box.
Facing a small square is a coffee shop adorned with light steel structural ornaments. Its irregular origami-style roof extends broadly, lifting on all four sides to welcome guests. The bar counter can open fully, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces. The original two-story dormitory has an L-shaped floor plan, surrounded by Metasequoia trees and the original garden, creating a serene, upscale dining environment. Each private room corresponds to a serrated sloped roof unit, allowing sunlight and tree shadows to filter inside through high side windows.
Project Drawings
▲ Model schematic diagram
▲ Model schematic diagram
▲ Axonometric diagram
▲ General layout plan
Project Information
Architect: Hechen Building
Area: 9,000 m²
Project Year: 2024
Photographer: Zhu Qingyan
Design Team: Chen Hao, Hu Chenchen, Dong Xinji, Zhang Tian, Hou Yida, Liu Jiaqi, Zhu Yifan
Steel Structure Consultants: Zhang Zhun, Xu Yue (Hezuo Structural Research Institute)
Membrane Structure Consultants: Yang Jun, He Hao (Farfu Space Structure (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.)
Landscape Design: WEi Studio
Client: Shanghai Electric Real Estate
Location: Shanghai
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