In the Chinese metropolis, Shanghai, a large shopping center was recently opened, with the telling name «Thousand Trees». Lemurov.net he shares his impressions of the new architectural gem.
The shopping center was developed by the Briton Thomas Heatherwick and his design studio. They launched a similar project last year, in New York. The solution that the designer applied in both cases is not new. Millennia ago, judging by the records of ancient authors, the famous gardens of Semiramis looked the same.
The engineering system of concrete structures, placed at a certain angle and carrying huge «planters» with trees and vines, turn the building into an extraordinary garden city. The name of the shopping center modestly keeps silent about the true scope of engineering genius. There are not a thousand, but as many as two hundred and fifty thousand green spaces.
They are selected in such a way that at different times of the year they will delight with a wealth of colors. Here are collected evergreen and deciduous plants, flowering and fertile. These living «lungs» will be especially useful to residents of one of the most densely populated and man-made cities in China. In addition, the unique complex pleases not only with its natural aesthetics.
To decorate the buildings, the head of the design studio involved more than a dozen street art artists. This area of Shanghai is full of numerous paintings on concrete surfaces, so the shopping center will perfectly blend into the overall landscape. In addition, there is its own highlight, a huge, forty-meter mural depicted in the elevator shaft.
Judge for yourself about the scale of the project – the structure of the shopping complex occupies almost sixty-three thousand square meters. There are a hundred retail outlets and sixty-three establishments where customers can sit for a cup of coffee or a full lunch. A democratic food court and a huge supermarket are located in the lowest room of the shopping center.
The next five floors are occupied by shops, and on the other four there are cafes, restaurants and bars. Also here you can enjoy watching movies in modern cinemas, relax in a comfortable SPA and even visit a museum.
By the way, the locals have already changed the name of the shopping center. The Chinese dubbed the «Thousand Trees» the «Western Mountain», which you will agree is even closer to the truth, because in shape it resembles a mountain overgrown with forest. The architect himself explained the idea of arranging the shopping center with the desire to make the complex more cozy, to divide it into many social mini-spaces.
Thomas Heatherwick expressed hope that this approach will change the lives of people who will work here or visit as clients – will make it qualitatively better. The city authorities have already announced the construction of a similar complex, the 19-storey «East Mountain», where a modern hotel and offices will be located.
