The Breeze Hall is situated in Shanghai’s most significant commemorative space, Lu Xun Park. Originally, this site was a mixed forest south of the Lu Xun Memorial Hall, enclosed and forgotten as a neglected urban fragment. In 2023, SHISUO revitalized the area by transplanting scattered trees to the south of the new building, creating a tree-lined path that buffers the structure from the memorial hall. Additional trees were relocated to the site’s two wings, enclosing a large open space. Existing large trees and bamboo groves were preserved, with new pathways designed to harmonize with these natural elements, forming seamless transitions in the landscape. These thoughtful interventions have enhanced the site’s public accessibility.
On the west side of the World Literary Plaza, shaded by trees, local seniors commonly gather to chat, sing, and dance—daily rituals that the Breeze Hall now neighbors.
The design faced two main challenges: delivering high-quality construction within strict budget and time constraints, and creating a landmark spiritual building that harmonizes with the surrounding chaotic urban environment.
The main structure comprises a wing-like steel truss suspended above a landscape-inspired base. This slender steel frame is arranged to maximize lightness and transparency, optimizing steel use and structural efficiency. I-beam columns, measuring just 100 x 150 mm in cross-section, support a vast open space stretching 42 meters in length, with a 15-meter span and 12-meter height—ideal for weddings, events, exhibitions, and gatherings.
Prefabricated perforated panels serve as the roofing material, allowing fast modular assembly on-site. The panels’ dense yet porous nature offers varied visual textures—appearing simple from afar yet richly tangible up close. This double-layered perforated roof also acts as a filter between interior and exterior, creating calm on cloudy days and a gentle glow on sunny ones. The roof’s form rises into a welcoming cut at the entrance, inviting visitors inside. The interior is tall and spacious, a blank canvas ready for future personalization.
Low eaves block noise from the busy commercial street opposite, reflecting only the pool and sprawling lawns. Here, air flows freely, light filters softly, and birdsong fills the air, while the chaos of the city remains outside. The landscape-like base interacts with the site in multiple ways: it becomes steps and seating, a bridge connecting buildings and grasslands, or a platform by the water.
Inside, the base rises to form an abstract house-like structure, reminiscent of a silent monument or tower. Behind it, a canyon-like staircase leads visitors to an elevated platform, offering framed views of the roof and shifting light and shadows. Two side windows bring natural light inside and offer glimpses back toward the entrance. Each morning, the rising sun casts a halo from behind, imbuing the space with a mysterious and sacred aura.
We deliberately emphasize the sacred aspect of the space because sacredness celebrates the poetic moments found in everyday life. Within the interplay between the secular and the sacred, people discover that life is not uniform—joy and sorrow, loss and gain, the worldly and the divine—all essential facets that shape a person. This duality exists within us all, and divinity often reveals itself alongside daily life.
Approaching from the city street, visitors ascend quaint stone steps and pass through a bamboo grove, the gravel crunching beneath their feet. The sliding door, when touched, may leave faint rust marks. As it opens, one enters a corridor with a gentle upward slope. Throughout this journey, the auditorium remains out of sight—only the shadows of trees and the long corridor are visible. Sunlight filters through an opening at the tunnel’s end, guiding visitors into a gravel courtyard where the building’s facade peeks through branches. Entering again under the eaves, ascending stairs, the traces of the outside world gradually fade away. This winding path of separation suspends the main auditorium space outside its environment, with repeated moments of concealment and revelation fueling an endless desire to reach it.
The Breeze Hall is regarded as a refuge carrying the collective memory of the city. Beyond its remarkable, monumental ceremonial space, it is rich with human-scale details and thoughtful material finishes. The low-hanging eaves channel rainwater into the pool below, minimizing reliance on artificial replenishment. The double-layer perforated panels, shaped by the roof truss contours, create a gentle airflow by connecting with evaporation from the water pool, establishing a local microclimate with a refreshing breeze—even in hot summers.
Inside, the beige plaster on the second-floor platform offers a soft, skin-like texture. Window armrests are curved to fit comfortably in the palm, encouraging longer stays. Numerous power outlets are discreetly integrated into the floors and columns, while load-bearing points on the roof ridge provide diverse options for event setups. Visually, the roof truss’s structural logic is clearly expressed, making construction details a defining feature of the space.
Our attention to detail extends beyond architecture. During construction, we noticed small animals visiting to drink from the pool, so we persuaded the client not to use algae removal chemicals. Now, this pool serves as a vital water source for birds, lizards, stray cats, and dogs. On rainy nights, the auditorium becomes their refuge. Embracing life from city dwellers to wildlife, this building nurtures and connects all living beings.
Amidst the forest, historic memorial, and commercial buildings, a modern auditorium has been realized—open to the city and integrated with its surroundings, embodying a light, transparent, and ceremonial atmosphere.
Within six months of opening, Breeze Hall has become a vibrant hub for urban public activities. It has hosted socially impactful cultural events such as the Cherry Blossom Season Cultural Market (Yinyan SPACE), the inaugural Happy Home Exhibition (Red Book RED), International Yoga Day (PURE YOGA), the Healing Poetry Exhibition (SOUL APP & Shanghai Mental Health Center), and the Loewe Autumn/Winter Fashion Show (LOEWE). These events have generated significant economic benefits, enhanced urban space quality, and attracted widespread public interest.
With over 30,000 social media views, Breeze Hall has quickly established itself as a new landmark in Shanghai’s arts and culture scene. We hope this building continues to foster happiness and becomes an enduring part of the city’s collective memory.
Architecture may be transient, but meaning endures. Every day at sunset, as sunlight filters through the forest and illuminates Breeze Hall, shifting light and shadows dance across its solid triangular façade, offering comfort to those returning home. Sacred and everyday life seem worlds apart in time and space, yet human existence unfolds between them, allowing us to reach new heights in this continuous transition.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ Floor Plan
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
Project Information
Architect: Designed by
Area: 680 m²
Project Year: 2024
Photographers: Zhu Runzi, Lv Xiaobin, DONG Architectural Imaging, Sanif, Ye Jianyuan
Manufacturer: CEMIMAX Technology, Oxygen Containing Ecological Wall Material
Lead Designers: Sanif, Changshan
Design Team: Lin Zihan, Zhang Han
Landscape Consultants: Shanghai Jiancheng Landscape Design – Jin Yinyin, Li Mengzhu
Structural Consultants: iStructure – Yang Xiaotian, Wu Kunying
Lighting Consultants: Sheng Lighting Design Firm – Hong Shenglin, Liu Jingyi
Client: Changyuan Culture Group
Location: Hongkou District
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