Shanghai Diaries_11/06/2019

Defunct industrial structures make for an amazing canvas on which unique projects may be developed and Shanghai seems to be in love with this model of development. I was walking down Wending Lu and came across Wending Living Style Plaza (www.wendingplaza.com.cn).

Known formerly as the Shanghai Cold Rolling Steel Plant, the skeletal structure has been retained and sensitively retrofitted to function as a high end retail destination. The space is light, inviting and filled with natural light. There are a number of cafes with outdoor seating which makes one want to just while away time, hopefully, without a care in the world.

The question that needs to be asked though is can this model be more inclusive and cater to a wider audience or will the dynamics of real estate compel all such developments to be targeted only towards the rich, adding to the ever widening social divide?

#shanghai #newadventures #explorechina #nonperiodicoscillations #architecture #design #construction #industrial #reuse #retrofit #wending #retail #realestate #social