Located opposite People’s Park and the Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Central Plaza is one of the earliest high-rise developments in Shanghai’s central business district. Completed during the 1980s, the tower remains a prominent landmark within the Huangpu District and continues to play an important role in the city’s commercial landscape. Due to its iconic status, proposed alterations to the building’s exterior remained subject to government approval, prompting the renovation strategy to focus initially on the interior environment.
As the first phase of a broader refurbishment masterplan, the project reimagines a typical office floor within the tower. While the original floorplates offered generous circulation areas around the central core, they lacked clear orientation, flexibility and opportunities for interaction. A continuous enclosed corridor wrapped around the core, creating a repetitive environment where movement was purely functional and shared spaces were largely limited to the lift lobby and sanitary facilities.
The intervention sought to transform these underutilised circulation zones into places that support communication, informal working and social exchange. By reorganising the lift configuration, the arrival sequence was simplified and a substantial portion of the existing lift lobby was reclaimed as a flexible communal space. This new shared area can accommodate informal meetings, presentations, individual work or simply provide a place for occupants to pause, connect and engage with colleagues throughout the day.
At the perimeter of the floorplate, previously overlooked corner windows were transformed into destinations within the workspace. Positioned at the end of circulation routes, these areas provide natural light, panoramic views across Shanghai and informal settings for reading, working or reflection. In addition to improving the quality of the workplace environment, these interventions establish clear orientation points that help users intuitively navigate the floor.
Rather than relying on large-scale structural alterations, the project demonstrates how targeted architectural interventions can significantly improve the experience of an existing office building. The result is a more flexible, collaborative and human-centred workplace that responds to the changing expectations of contemporary office culture while respecting the heritage and identity of one of Shanghai’s most recognised commercial towers.
location shanghai, china
type interior renovation
design team toshio tsushima, leroy merks, cansu bulduk
local architect shanghai architectural and engineering consultants
program office and lobby space
size 1.620sqm
commission direct commission (2016)
status partially completed (2017)
