Sparch: Shanghai International Cruise Terminal

Shanghai, long regarded as the Oriental Pearl, will add another jewel to its glittering crown when the new Shanghai International Cruise Terminal mixed-use development, designed by international architects Sparch, is completed in May this year.

The Cruise Terminal mixed-use development sits in the North Bund, offering spectacular views of Shanghai's famous historical Bund to the south and the skyscrapers of Pudong on the opposite side of the Huangpu River. The first phase of the development was completed earlier in October 2009.

The centerpiece of the mixed-use development is a structure nicknamed the ‘Shanghai Chandelier’, pictured above. With its 40m-high glass-clad portal, the Chandelier overlooks the public park and waterfront where city dwellers and tourists can congregate in an open space for festivals and events. Looking up from the ground, a spellbinding view greets you in the form of several floating cafes, restaurants and bars suspended on cables beneath a seven-storey steel truss in an extraordinary three-dimensional composition. This is the very first suspended cable construction of its type in the world, and stems from the Shanghai authorities’ desire to create more ‘breathing spaces’ in the crowded municipality.

This development also represents a first in Shanghai for sustainability, incorporating ‘River Water Cooling Technology’ – utilising water from the Huang Pu River as a refrigerant to cool and thereby greatly reduce the buildings’ energy consumption during the summer months.

Sparch’s vision for the Shanghai International Cruise Terminal mixed-use development adheres to the theme of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 – ‘Better City, Better Life’ – as the project site forms part of the green corridor along the Huangpu River, extending as far south as the Expo venue between the Lu Pu and Nan Pu Bridges.

Offering an eclectic mix of business and entertainment, the Shanghai International Cruise Terminal mixed-use development will further entrench Shanghai’s status as a key commerce and tourism hub. When fully operational, the cruise terminal can accommodate up to three 80,000-tonne cruise ships at any one time and handle an expected passenger flow of over 1.5 million people annually.

“Shanghai is undoubtedly the main driver of China’s fast-growing economy. Sparch is honoured to play our part in designing and developing the new Shanghai International Cruise Terminal commercial and entertainment site, which will provide another gateway for people on business or leisure to experience this thriving metropolis,” says John Curran, project director in Sparch’s Shanghai studio.

Sparch was appointed the master planner of the Cruise Terminal mixed-use development in 2004. Occupying a total floor area of more than 260,000 sqm with half of it underground, the development comprises 80 percent commercial use, and 20 percent public facilities, entertainment and retail outlets.