Shanghai
Xintiandi, the first development in the Taipingqiao
Redevelopment Project, is an urban tourist attraction
imbued with the city's historical and cultural legacies.
Located at the City Centre of Shanghai, and only one
block south of the prestigious Huai Hai Zhong Road and
its Metro station, the project has a site area of 30,000
square meters and a gross floor area of 60,000 square
metres. Shanghai Xintiandi features a multitude of specialist
F&B, retail, entertainment, cultural, recreational,
commercial and residential facilities in restored "Shikumen"
houses - a special old form of building architecture
only found in Shanghai - as well as state-of-the-art
new buildings, catering for both residents and visitors.
With this unique architectural design, Xintiandi has
won the national "Innovation China 2001 - Architecture
Award", "AIA Hong Kong Citation 2002"
and 2003
Award for Excellence from US-based Urban Land Institute.
Xintiandi
is divided into the North and South Blocks. In the North
Block, antique buildings with their modern interior
design, decorations and equipment play host to a dazzling
array of restaurants specialising in French, American,
German, British, Brazilian, Italian, Japanese, Taiwanese
and Hong Kong cuisine, putting on display the full international
dimension of Shanghai Xintiandi. The dividing line between
the two blocks, Xingye Road, is the site of the First
Congress Hall of the Chinese Communist Party. In the
South Block, modern architecture is the motif while
Shikumen is an accompaniment. A shopping, entertainment
and leisure complex of 25,000 square metres in the South
Block opened in mid 2002. Aside from a series of international
restaurants representing the flavors of the world, there
are classy boutiques, accessory shops, a food court,
a movie cinema, a great one-stop fitness centre as well
as 88
Xintiandi Executive Residence, which offers luxurious
serviced apartments. There is also an underground carpark
with 220 parking spaces.
Shikumen
houses are a relic of Shanghai's fascinating history,
but over the years had sadly deteriorated because of
the lack of maintenance. In order to restore the original
appearance of the Shikumen "long tangs"(alleys), Shui
On reconstructed selected buildings based on old design
drawings. The original bricks and tiles were preserved
before construction commenced.
A
lot of time and effort were spent on the design and
construction stages to preserve the old architecture.
Yet the beautifully restored old buildings also boast
the latest modern facilities, such as modern M&E systems,
escalators and concealed fibre-optics.
Today,
Xintiandi has developed into a commercial and entertainment
hub in Shanghai that fully accomplishes Shui On's goal:
"Yesterday meets tomorrow in Shanghai today".
Shanghai
Xintiandi is designed by Wood and Zapata Inc., a Boston-based
architectural firm specialised in adaptive re-use of
old buildings, and the Singapore office of Nikken Sekkei
International Ltd. The Shanghai Tongji University Urban
Planning, Design and Research Institute serves as the
architectural consultant.
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