Gate M West Bund Dream Centre in Shanghai by MVRDV

In Shanghai, time moves much faster than in Central Europe. Just two and a half years ago, MVRDV published the first renderings and photos of the Gate M West Bund Dream Centre. The renovation project, which has a floor area of 45,000 m², is now ready for occupancy.

Until the early 2000s, one of the country's largest cement factories stood on the banks of the Huangpu River. The 2010 World Expo in Shanghai provided an opportunity to relocate this dinosaur of heavy industry outside the city. Subsequent failed attempts at revitalisation have resulted in numerous commercial ruins being mixed in with the remaining industrial relics. 

A former cement silo remains at the southern end of the site. This will serve as a climbing centre in the future. © Tian Fangfang

In their master plan, MVRDV stipulated that neither of the old structures could be demolished. Instead, they form a heterogeneous starting point for the redesign into an entertainment and hotel quarter. “From the outset, it was clear that the existing buildings had a lot of value – we didn’t want to demolish them just because it might be simpler, as this results in more carbon emissions and waste”, says Jacob van Rijs, partner at MVRDV. 

This is a site plan of the converted cement factory, Graphic © MVRDV 

For implementation, the Dutch architects collaborated with three partners: the Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen designed the West Bund Dome Arts Centre and the new Shanghai West Bund Theatre at the northern end of the site. The shopping centre to the south bears the signature of the Shanghai-based firm Atelier Deshaus. James Corner Field Operations was responsible for the waterfront landscaping, and MVRDV itself designed the buildings at the southern end of the former cement factory. 

The main factory building, now known as “M Factory”, is by far the largest industrial relic on the site. © Sanquian Visual Image Art 

This also included two post-industrial landmarks. The six-part cement silo at the southern end was converted into a climbing hall. MVRDV may have been inspired by the “Heaven's Gate” climbing centre in the former Pfanni silo towers in Munich when designing the Werk12 multi-purpose building right next door in 2019. Prior to the renovation, the main building of the cement factory comprised only two skeletonised concrete longitudinal walls and a wide-span steel roof structure. Today, renamed “M Factory”, the building houses a food market with restaurants on the lower floors. On the top floor is a column-free multi-purpose hall for cultural events. 

The new development areas and the roof terraces of the former industrial buildings are all coloured orange-red. © Xia Zhi 

Jacob van Rijs describes the juxtaposition of industrial relics and the remains of a former commercial building as an “awkward pairing”. This is an understatement – which is why MVRDV opted for two fundamentally different approaches to the existing structure. The mostly faceless commercial buildings were unified as much as possible with a white, concave aluminium and glass shell. The architects complemented the two former industrial buildings with bright orange staircases, lifts, and roof terraces.