German firm Gerkan, Marg & Partners (GMP) has been selected to transform the disused Baowu Stainless Steel factory originally completed in 1986, and empty since 2016, into the main building for the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts.
The 220,000-sq-m development will accommodate 600 staff and 4,000 students and contain studios, a public forum, restaurants, shops, a library, sports facilities, a museum and exhibition space.
The basic structure of the 860m-long building will be retained and an access corridor will run the entire length of the building’s core. New elements such as dark concrete and the dark steel framing will reference the existing industrial architecture.
Central corridor (Willmore CG/GMP)
The long corridor offers meeting spaces and will contain three pedestrian intersections and two cross-over points for motorised traffic all built in the form of a bridge.
Located in the Wusong industrial area, the project will contain green features such as a double-skin facade, floors that provide natural cooling and extended natural roof ventilation.
Top image: Bird’s-eye view southeast at night (Willmore CG/GMP)
