Ceremony occurs in Shanghai, China September 26, 2008
CHICAGO, Sept. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) and Shanghai Jingang North Bund Realty Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Sinar Mas Paper (China) Investment Co. Ltd., today held the groundbreaking for White Magnolia Plaza in Shanghai, China after recently receiving schematic approval from the Shanghai City Planning Administrative Bureau. The design for White Magnolia Plaza includes one 320-meter office tower and two adjacent hotel towers located above a mixed-use podium and subsurface parking. Located on an approximately 57,000 m2 site on the north side of the Huang Pu River, the project sits directly across from Pudong’s famed Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
(PHOTO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080926/AQF501 )
"White Magnolia Plaza is on a key site in the North Bund District, a newly energized urban center in Puxi along the Huangpu River and across the Suzhou River from The Bund. The project will be a catalyst for the economical and architectural rejuvenation of this district of Shanghai," said Thomas Kerwin, SOM Managing Partner for the project.
While the initial plan called for five towers, SOM’s final design simplified the program, calling for only three: a landmark office building and two smaller hotel towers. The massing of White Magnolia’s central tower visually connects the historic Bund District with the highrise Pudong District across the river, balancing the city skyline. The two smaller crescent-shaped hotel towers complement the taller office tower, integrating the complex with the scale of the neighborhood. On all three buildings, perforated aluminum sunshades reduce solar heat gain by day and reduce light pollution by night. After dark, the organic rhythm of external louvers is accentuated by curving lines of LED light.
Ross Wimer, SOM Design Partner for the project added, "White Magnolia Plaza represents a powerful new direction in High Rise Architecture. The complex, curved surfaces of the building were designed and engineered with software used by the aerospace industry. This technology allowed us to create an efficient architecture that has a unique sculptural presence on the Skyline of Shanghai."
Balancing environmental sustainability with landmark status is also a top priority for the developer, Shanghai Jingang North Bund Realty Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Sinar Mas Paper (China) Investment Co. Ltd. According to Zheng Rui, spokesman of Sinar Mas Paper (China) Investment Co. Ltd, "We aimed to create not only a new landmark for Shanghai’s famous Bund, but also an environmentally-conscious hub of business and culture in the emerging North Bund district. Perfectly situated to take advantage of both Puxi and Pudong, our project will redefine Shanghai’s urban lifestyle through its renewing green spaces and ecofriendly technology, designer hotel and shops, innovative dining and entertainment, and iconic office skyscraper."
The incorporation of sustainable technology has long been an integral part of SOM’s design process. White Magnolia Plaza incorporates a diverse array of high performance and environmentally responsive strategies. This approach to sustainability will result in a significant reduction in carbon emissions, water consumption, peak electrical demand and significantly reduce the building’s impact on the environment.
White Magnolia Plaza is the last major undeveloped piece of Shanghai’s Huang Pu Riverfront Master Plan. The Plaza site sits just inland from both the park and Shanghai’s new main cruise-ship terminal. Disembarking passengers will be able to follow a pedestrian thoroughfare winding between the Plaza’s two podiums on their way to a transit station from which trains will travel directly into downtown Shanghai. Ben Wood of Ben Wood Studio Shanghai is the retail design consultant for the approximately 72,000 m2 of retail spaces within White Magnolia Plaza.
About SOM Chicago
Founded in 1936, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP is one of the world’s leading architecture, urban design, engineering, and interior architecture firms. SOM’s sophistication in building technology applications and commitment to design quality has resulted in a portfolio that features some of the most important architectural accomplishments. Examples include the Sears Tower and John Hancock Center in Chicago; Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai; Canary Wharf in London; the Washington Mall and Constitution Gardens in Washington D.C.; and the Lever House in New York City. Currently, the firm maintains offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, London, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
