Expo Place, the latest addition to Shanghai’s iconic Expo district, represents the final piece of the area’s core urban puzzle.
Designed by Benoy, the project showcases our expertise in interior design and commercial layout optimisation. Opened on 31 December 2024, it marks a powerful end to the year and a new beginning for the district.
Jointly developed by China Life Insurance, Shanghai Real Estate, China Resources Land, China Resources Finance, and Shenshourun Investment, Expo Place enjoys a prime location in Pudong, adjacent to landmark attractions such as the renowned “One Axis, Four Pavilions.” Seamlessly integrated into Shanghai’s transport network, the site connects directly to the North – South Elevated Highway and Expo Avenue.
The development spans a total floor area of 320,000 sqm and includes a 50,000-sqm premium retail mall (five storeys above ground, three below), two 94,000-sqm high-rise Grade A office towers with LEED Gold certification, both designed by Benoy for interior design and soft furnishings, along with two multi-storey standalone commercial buildings and a pair of boutique luxury hotels.
Historical landmarks
Located on Plot B06 in the heart of Shanghai’s Pudong Expo Zone, Expo Place sits at the crossroads of heritage and innovation. Rooted in the legacy of the World Expo, the site carries both historical significance and forward-looking ambition. As part of the broader Expo masterplan, it functions as an “urban super-chain” — a connective node linking nearby cultural, tourism, and lifestyle destinations — with the aim of becoming a new hub for elevated urban living.
Leveraging its prime riverside location, Expo Place is envisioned as a multidimensional destination that is business-friendly, cycling-friendly, and fans of live events and pop culture alike. From corporate professionals and exhibition visitors to cultural audiences, leisure seekers, and local residents, it offers a curated city experience for all.
From the earliest design stages, Benoy was driven by a vision to fuse spatial function with urban culture. The team conducted in-depth studies of the site’s geographic and social context, integrating the legacy of the World Expo with the evolving needs of the surrounding community. The result is a holistic commercial and office interior that balances memory and modernity, preservation and progress.
A key inspiration for the design was the site’s industrial past, particularly the legacy of the former Third Steel Plant. This history is reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, with Expo Place’s spatial language shaped by clean structural lines and striking industrial contrasts, a dialogue of form and function that weaves together past and present.
Slow living in a fast-paced world: Framing the beauty of everyday life
At the heart of Expo Place’s design lies the concept of “urban rhythm within a frame.” This design approach breaks down modern city life into intimate, lived-in moments — capturing the everyday and elevating it into a refined spatial narrative. It transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, using the philosophy of slow living to gently offset the city’s fast-paced rhythm. Each visitor steps into a curated environment where new life trajectories unfold, and every moment becomes part of a story — told through a fresh architectural frame.
The design pays tribute to the legacy of steel, articulated through rugged textures, metallic tones, and rhythmic, structural forms. In the central atrium, clean light strips trace the space with precision, balancing clarity with grace. Warm-toned artisanal finishes evoke a sense of history under layered lighting, while brushed metal surfaces anchor the space in quiet strength — creating an environment that feels both powerful and composed.
Bridges weave through the interior, enhancing depth and inviting layered exploration. Exposed structural columns are elegantly concealed using a combination of mirrored and frosted stainless steel, allowing the spatial composition to feel open and fluid. This bridge-linked sequence of rooms creates a sense of transparency and movement — a seamless architectural journey that elevates everyday experience through form, material, and light.
Precision in Scale: Details that define experiences
In Expo Place, even the grandest spaces are defined by the smallest design decisions. The circular atrium, formed by the multi-level banquet halls, features a crescent-shaped roof and expansive solid walls that originally posed visual challenges. To soften this, the design team introduced corrugated stainless steel, creating a refined, translucent texture. Above, skylights invite natural light to cascade through the space, transforming the walls into a living canvas of shifting shadows throughout the day.
A unified diagonal design language flows across ceilings and floors, reinforcing the “urban rhythm” concept. In the atrium and elevator lobbies, clean diagonal lines structure the ceilings, while the flooring transitions naturally in tone from retail units to connecting corridors. This motif continues through public corridors and restroom pathways, where alternating light and dark patterns create subtle, rhythmic movement underfoot.
Along the upper façade of the central atrium, neatly aligned vertical metal lines are paired with undulating white light strips, creating a rising-and-falling rhythm that enhances the spatial tempo. Transparent skylights allow abundant natural light to pour in, immersing visitors in an environment where architecture and atmosphere shift fluidly throughout the day.
Drawing on its extensive experience with large-scale commercial mixed-use developments, Benoy has crafted interiors that balance movement with clarity. Functional zones are seamlessly connected through flowing lines and layered transitions, while curated art installations punctuate the journey — enriching both the visual landscape and the emotional experience of the space.
From high-end retail and gourmet dining to cultural exhibitions and leisure experiences, Expo Place offers a seamless integration of diverse business formats — fostering interaction, discovery, and engagement at every step.
As a landmark addition to the Expo Zone, Expo Place plays a pivotal role in enhancing the area’s commercial vitality. It marks a significant milestone in Shanghai’s post-Expo transformation, offering both residents and global visitors a vibrant new destination for lifestyle, retail, and cultural immersion.
