SPARK’S MINHANG RIVERFRONT TRANSFORMATION NEARS COMPLETION

Transformation

Oct 23

Next week on 31st October marks the seventh World Cities Day, this year’s theme is ” Valuing Our Communities and Cities “. Through the implementation of local community planning to promote sustainable urban development and improve the living environment.

SPARK’s Shanghai Minhang Riverfront transformation adds vitality to the community, enhancing its image and importantly the quality of environment through the implementation of people sensitive landscapes that improve accessibility to the river and innovative installations that create varying pockets of activity along this 750metre section of the Minhang River.

SPARK’s design concept used the single cell Diatom as a recurring motif. Diatoms are single cell algae of many beautiful forms that naturally clean water. We have abstracted the Diatom form into two- and three-dimensional objects that animate the river embankment telling the story river and environment in regeneration.

Divided into four zones, the riverfront is activated with lawns, cafés, a sports park, running track and a large event plaza. Three pedestrian bridges span the river connecting seamlessly the riverfront foot paths.

SPARK’s proposals are socially and environmentally responsive aiding the rehabilitation of the river whilst providing an attractive destination for pedestrians and cyclists and a much-improved river threshold for the office buildings that face the water’s edges.