On the morning of 28 June 2021, a collective groundbreaking ceremony was held for a combination of major projects for Jing’an District for the second quarter. The events took place at a main venue on Wanrong Road and a secondary venue on West Nanjing Road. This was the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the MOSTA Plaza renovation project. The plaza is owned by Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd., located in a district of significant cultural and historical importance in Shanghai, on West Nanjing Road. Yu Yong, Secretary of the Shanghai Jing’an District Party Committee, and Shi Mingfang, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd., as well as a number of other leading figures attended the groundbreaking ceremony, which marked the official kick-off of this project. Senior Benoy Architect, Ni Xianbin, was honoured to receive an invitation to the event at the secondary venue, where he joined other esteemed guests to commemorate the occasion on behalf of the team at Benoy.
Though this project only involves the renovation of a gross floor area measuring around 10,000 square meters, the design team worked incredibly hard on their design. It took almost three years to conclude the design phase of this project, specifically due to complex planning and site conditions. In addition, the team revised their design on a number of occasions. The final plan was unanimously approved by the owner, Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd., and the Jing’an District Government.
The building façade was designed to blend in with the surrounding historical buildings on three sides, especially those sections of the building on West Nanjing Road and Taixing Road. Style, proportions, lines and colours were all considered in order to create a design which assimilates with its surroundings. Specific design elements were incorporated from those historical buildings in the surrounding area, these include vertical construction, modular standardisation and window open angles. The team used contemporary materials to create a modern design with an emphasis on simple decorative features and a stack concept, where block units are repeated within the design. The complex has been designed to complement its surroundings, the result of this is a more welcoming, popular urban space. In addition, the team revised the design of the advertisement space at the corner of the complex, incorporating grille screens, so as to align with the façade. These changes served to reduce light pollution, which had the potential to disturb residents, as well as resolve issues connected to the commercial displays and potential road safety hazards. In addition, these revisions demonstrate the use of technology in the creation of a modern space. Our design is a mix of the traditional and the contemporary. In reshaping the existing structures along West Nanjing Road, we have both created something new and contemporary, and also preserved traditional elements of the space where possible. We have added a new patch to the urban fabric with this regeneration project, and in doing so, breathed new life into the city.
As the gross floor area of the retail space on each floor of the MOSTA Plaza is only around 1000 square metres, the design of the central atrium is therefore very important to ensure continuity of internal business circulation, as well as connecting the adjoining sections between the floors and enhancing skylight illumination. Within the spiral-shaped central atrium, some cubicles, designed like randomly floating and roaming particles, were built on the edge of the main horizontal line of business circulation on each floor, further compressing spaces in the atrium while infusing them with spirituality. Such a design also stimulates interpersonal interaction, as well as provides an environment for 3D arrangements of green plants.
Unlike the surrounding large-scale commercial buildings, upon completion, this commercial complex located in the core area of Shanghai’s central business district will play a leading role in further promoting commercial activities along the West Nanjing Road Commercial Street with an elegant exterior design, exquisite and flexible interior layout and unique integration of retail formats.
