Shanghai’s most “exotic” commercial body! Sky Garden breaks through ordinary imagination

Do you still remember the “Babylon Sky Garden” in the foreign media report that Shanghai once flew overseas before it was completed two years ago?
“Suspicious”, “magic”, “don’t consider maintenance costs”, because of the strange shape of the roof full of trees, it has also become the most controversial representative of Shanghai landmark among many people.

After 8 years, the building is about to be completed and its official name is “1000 trees”.
When I passed the Suzhou River in Shanghai two days ago, I found that the scaffolding had been removed, and there was a “magic” building on the riverside.

▲ @ Qingyan Zhu
Under the lens, it is very shocking. From a distance, it looks like a rolling mountain.

▲ Photo source: Tianan Qianshu Public Account
From a closer look, it looks like an oasis floating from the river.

▲ @ Qingyan Zhu
Due to the proximity to Shanghai’s famous creative park M50, there is a row of graffiti walls outside the fence of 1000 trees. Under the magical landscape, there is a little more art.
By next year, it will officially meet with the public.

400 steps, 1000 trees
A controversial magical landmark
1000 Trees “Sky Garden” project It also has a beautiful name “Tianan Qianshu”.
The project is located in a busy city. The Shanghai Railway Station is across the river, and it is only 4 or 5 kilometers away from the Bund and Xintiandi.

In position, 1000 Trees is close to the Suzhou River and has a full 900-meter-long riverfront walkway, coupled with the nearby old landmark IP Rong’s building, giving a wonderful sense of crossing.

▲ @ Qingyan Zhu
The western building has been basically completed, standing in a high-rise building, it looks strange and prominent.
Because 1000 Trees has a geometric trapezoidal shape, which imitates the height of the jungle walk, which also makes it full of streamlined beauty.
Surprisingly, when you look at this shape from every angle, it is different.

On the north facade, a terrace formed by 400 steps and 1,000 pure white tree-shaped pedestals are staggered.

▲ @ Qingyan Zhu
About 25,000 plants, including shrubs, perennials, and climbing plants, were planted on the roof and the top of the pillars on the facade.
The stack of terraces and trees is like a rolling hill, which makes the whole building full of layers and vitality, and looks very shocking.
The perspective turned to the south elevation, and immediately became flat. Looking at it from a height, it seems as if a large “mountain” is cut from the middle.

In order to better integrate 1000 Trees into the art area of ​​M50, the architectural firm also specially invited graffiti artists to create art paintings on the south high wall.
The sense of architectural modeling itself is strong, and in the cut off “mountain body”, a thick picture is painted, which suddenly feels a bit more mysterious.

Although the 1000 trees look amazing, many people say they are difficult to digest and weird. Some people even feel that it is not just like a monument to the surrounding high-rise buildings.
In addition, the exterior of the building has a large number of exposed columns and shattered spaces. “How to deal with subsequent maintenance” and “How to maintain trees” have become the focus of discussion.

▲ 1000 Trees real picture, @Qingyan Zhu
Although there is no lack of controversy, in the current “a thousand-story” high-rise building, the 1000 Trees shape breaks through ordinary people’s imagination and still makes me think it is a valuable attempt.
The world’s hottest architect design
Get inspired by Chinese landscape painting
Designers are certainly not ordinary people who can build an aerial forest in a steel and cement city.
He is Thomas Heatherwick, an architect who has won the “Royal Industrial Design” Medal, won the Architectural Award-“Prince Philip Award”, and is known as “Leonardo Da Vinci” in the 21st World.

At the age of 39, Thomas defeated Zaha Hadid, who is known as “the devil in architecture”, and won the design right for the British Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.

▲ The British Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo
In addition, iconic buildings such as the Hudson City Square in New York and the main torch stand (204 copper petals) of the London Olympics in the UK were all created by this master, and are now the world’s hottest architects.

▲ Hudson City Plaza, New York
Unlike ordinary architects, Thomas’s design works often break away from the limitation of “architecture is only architecture”, with rich imagination and creativity.
In order to design 1000 Trees, he personally visited Suzhou, drawing inspiration from Suzhou gardens and Chinese paintings, and trying to reflect the relationship between Chinese civilization and architecture in the project.

▲ It has the charm of Suzhou gardens
In an interview, Thomas admits that 1000 Trees is the biggest project inspired by Chinese elements. He also hopes that through this building, people can experience the fun of traveling in the city center.
“In the original idea, the mountain garden was not proposed as a building, but was part of nature.”

▲ 1000 Trees architectural model shows the design idea of ​​anti-packaging box
In this “garden building” filled with 1,000 trees, you can see the ceiling of the pillars sticking out of the ceiling, like a tree trunk breaking from the interior wall, and the “flower pot” at the top of each pillar is like a branch of flowers.

▲ @ Qingyan Zhu
The details on the surface of the pillars are also very touching, with undulating corrugated design, like multi-layered rocks in nature.

Although the plants are grown in reinforced concrete, there is no need to worry about the growth of these trees.
The project is specially equipped with a modern planting system with advanced arbor fixing, automatic drip irrigation and rain sensing integration at the bottom, which can effectively moisten the soil near the roots of crops.

The 1000 Trees covered by the forest not only shock the appearance, but also mitigate the greenhouse effect, reduce noise, dust and harmful air, and help improve the surrounding ecological environment and save energy.
Shopping, watching exhibitions, walking the Suzhou River
Modu is another punching resort
The building to be completed is only the western area of ​​the entire project, which Thomas called “two mountains covered with green vegetation”, which is divided into the east area and the west area.
The total construction area is approximately 278,500 square meters, with commercial and apartment hotels and office buildings to the east and commercial and entertainment centers to the west.

What is expected is that the second “mountain” in the east, which is being planned, will not only occupy a larger area, but also be more diversified in design.
After the two “mountains”, there will be a closed bridge and tunnel to connect them. After thinking about it, it can be quite interesting for people to wear it in the middle of the “mountain”.

In addition to shopping, there will be more landscaping projects around 1000 Trees.

Including 900 meters of riverside public space and 12,000 square meters of landscape park, there are jogging roads, sculpture gardens and a series of outdoor activity spaces. Attract surrounding residents to go for fitness and walking.

It is worth mentioning that 1000 Trees is adjacent to Moganshan Road, which is surrounded by fashionable and creative streets, Changhua Road yacht dock, M50, Jade Buddha and other scenic spots.
Friends who go to play by then will not miss this magic “island in the city”.