The Ecological Kaleidoscope Of East Nanjing Road: Century Square Reborn
THE ECOLOGICAL KALEIDOSCOPE OF EAST NANJING ROAD: CENTURY SQUARE REBORN
EMBT, TJAD
ARCHITECTS
EMBT, TJAD
LEAD ARCHITECTS
Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT); Liu Yujie (TJAD)
CHIEF CURTAIN WALL EXPERT
Shijia Xi
PAVEMENT COLOUR CONSULTANT
China Academy Of Art
PAVEMENT TILES SUPPLIER
Nbk Architectural Terracotta
ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION (COMPETITION STAGE)
Fancy
STRUCTURAL AND MEP ENGINEERING
Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., LTD.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Shanghai Construction No.2 (Group) Co., LTD.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT (COMPETITION STAGE)
Transsolar Energietechnik Gmbh
DESIGN TEAM (TJAD)
Lead: Academician Zheng Shiling; Reviewer: Xie Zhenyu; Architectural Design: Liu Yujie, Kan Ming, Tu Mengru, Wang Tingting, Wei Wei, Bao Xuefei, Feng Yi, Li Yuan, Guo Bisheng, Xia Wenli; Structural Design: Lyu Zhaohua, Shi Ying, Lu Jingjie, Chen Ruihao; Mep Design: Lin Wen, Zhang Hong, Wang Wei, Gu Huaxiang, Bai Shuqiang, Xu Jinjie, Zhou Shibing, Zhou Huiying; Curtain Wall Design: Tian Lijun, Jin Shaokai, Zhang Lei, Zhu Weibin, Wu Jinjian; Lighting Design: Yang Xiu; Green Building Design: Wang Zheng, Liu Bingyun, Ren Guohui, Xue Fanghui
DESIGN TEAM (EMBT)
Project Director: Stefan Geenen; Architecture And Landscape Design Team: Sebastiano Losi, Giuseppe D'ascoli, Daniel Hernán García, Gabriele Rotelli, Maria Faranda, Juan Camillo Izquierdo, Lucas Arango, Malena Bilik, Youssef Shabo, Cristian Munteanu, Lidia Quarintini, Cristiana Messina, Gloria Papetti, Andrea Stevanato, Erica Hansen, Pietro Borzacca, Georgia Soultana, Darragh Casey; Project Management: Zhao Zhuoran, Yin Hongning, Lorenzo Trucato, Guo Xiaoxuan
CLIENTS
Shanghai New World (Group) Co., LTD.; (Design Competition Client: People's Government Of Huangpu District, Shanghai)
MANUFACTURERS
NBK Architectural Terracotta
PHOTOGRAPHS
Runzi Zhu, Songkai Liu
AREA
1200 m²
YEAR
2026
LOCATION
Shanghai, China
CATEGORY
Public Architecture
English description provided by the architects.
In the heart of Shanghai's most iconic pedestrian corridor, East Nanjing Road, the renewal of Century Square by Benedetta Tagliabue –EMBT in collaboration with Tongji University Architectural Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd. has reached completion.
Century Square, located in the heart of East Nanjing Road, Shanghai's most iconic pedestrian street, is reimagined as a vibrant, ecological, and interactive urban space. Century Square has always been related to shows and events, positioned in a strategic connection between People's Square and The Bund, and characterized by its special ambience of incredible night lights and commercial presentations.
The design takes inspiration from the origin of the word Shanghai, which means "upon the sea." The design pays homage to this origin through the metaphor of a shell opening to reveal a pearl: a central kaleidoscope structure that reflects and reframes the cityscape like the surface of water.
Century Square opens like a shell to reveal the splendour of its "pearl": a shining kaleidoscope that reflects the new green urban scenery. The new kaleidoscope building is the new heart of Century Square, its "pearl."
Its facades reflect like a water surface, fragmenting and recomposing the lights and images of the surroundings: its colourful paving and greenery, its commercials and historical buildings. It hosts spectacular shows, and it is a show in itself.
The exterior skin of the Kaleidoscope is made of mirrored stainless steel panels, totaling approximately 1,000 square meters and composed of 191 precision-fabricated pieces.
Micron-level laser welding technology achieves a seamless mirror finish, ensuring the continuity and purity of the reflected image and transforming the building into a monolithic "urban mirror." Inside the kaleidoscope, small rooms invite the public to discover the square, the sky, and the spirit of the city, in between plants and mirrors.
In consideration of ecological consciousness, the project prioritizes reintroducing nature to the city centre, introducing green spaces and improving the urban micro-climate. The renewed Century Square moves away from its previous hard-surfaced nature, introducing substantial green areas, shadow roof, and rain protection.
Integrated within the site are green grades with shadow roofs, rain protection, and vegetation that provide a buffer between the public space and surrounding high-rise buildings.
The south side of Century Square is organized by a topographic element: green hills, interwoven with the existing trees, supporting a wooden grandstand that can be used in multiple ways.
Green terraces and steps allow people to sit at different levels, surrounded by trees and leaves, overlooking the vitality of the square. Underfoot, the new paving pattern evokes an undersea world.
The pavement covers approximately 4,100 square meters, composed of 34,518 small bricks. The China Academy of Art team selected 12 base colours from hundreds of blue tones, using diamond-shaped and triangular bricks to create a shimmering, water-like effect.
By night, integrated lighting transforms the ground into a glittering field, offering an immersive lighting experience that transforms into a glowing homage to the sea. The night scene converts Century Square into a game of colours and a reminiscence of the sea.
Acting as a strategic hinge between People's Square and The Bund, the design of Century Square prioritizes flexibility. The square becomes a green, flexible stage for public life: offering event zones, exhibition areas, public seating.
The square will host many events at different scales: product presentations, exhibitions, markets, cultural and theatre events, adapting the scenario each time, while also taking on the role of an "urban living room," raising the attraction of East Nanjing Road.
The facades on Nanjing Road participate by hosting lights and screens, beautifully redefining the streetscape. The renewed Century Square will become the highlight of East Nanjing Road, a new venue to experience the natural beauty of Shanghai.
Designed to host large events, daily public life, and moments of rest, Century Square emerges as a new cultural and ecological landmark for the city.
Through its climatic measurements, Century Square provides a comfortable environment for visitors. It offers a shadow zone, a rain roof, cooling elements for hot summers and interior spaces for cold winters.
The design maintains the performative identity of the square while achieving a shift toward a more climate-conscious and socially responsible future.
