On Feb. 13th, 2015, the “WE-Boeri Cross-border Design Party” jointly organized by Italian Foreign Trade Committee, Boeri Studio, and DOBE WE International Hub was held in the Bund. 

At the party, world famous designer Stefano Boeri, Italian Consul General in Shanghai Stefano Beltrame, famous designer Dai Chun, famous artist Shi Qing and figures from different circles had exchanges and communication. They discussed art and design, architecture and culture, and other topics in depth, and witnessed the rebirth of a century-old building and the first landing of green eco-building “Vertical Forest” in Shanghai together. 

 

 

Stefano Beltrame, the Italian Consul General in Shanghai, giving a speech

WE International Hub is an international cultural and creative industry project developed and operated by DOBE Group, and Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center’s Shanghai Base at the same time. Located in the business district of business districts in Shanghai——the Bund, it was rebuilt on the basis of the old site of Shanghai Chinese Merchants Stock Exchange Building first built in 1931.

Shanghai Chinese Merchants Stock Exchange Building was designed by famous Chinese designer Luke Him Sau. The building’s design concept integrated four principles, namely, practical use, epochal character, art and culture. In material, decoration and other details, it had unique techniques of expression and originality, and fully displayed a modern style that respects traditions.

Shanghai Chinese Merchants Stock Exchange was the first stock exchange in Chinese history. Du Yuesheng, a legendary figure in Shanghai, was its Board Chairman. Using his influences in political and economic circles, he helped Chinese Merchants Stock Exchange gain the first place in market competition. After acquiring many rivals, it became the largest stock exchange in the Far East and influenced the economy of the whole China and even East Asia.

    Since it was put into use in 1934, the building has witnessed China in turmoil and vigorous development. After the changes of the times, the building is still there, but men are no longer the same. Only through the thick outer walls, doornails and the decorations on the walls, can we vaguely see the building’s past charms and glories. After the baptism through nearly a century, it will have its gorgeous rebirth.

 

Old site of Shanghai Chinese Merchants Stock Exchange

 

    “This is a great building. It carries the memories of the Bund during the past financial times. It has experienced various vicissitudes in the history. But now we can still feel its strong attraction.” When he first saw the building, Boeri was deeply attracted by the history and culture sent forth by the building.

After careful investigation and strict demonstration, Boeri began to consider how to make this century-old building have rebirth. “While maintaining its current conditions, I hope we can reactivate it. The idea of reactivation doesn’t mean simply whitewashing or decorating it, but means giving the building the positioning and courage to face the future, face the new century and face new challenges. After being quiet for nearly a century after its completion, the building needs to embody the voice of the times again.”

In protecting a historical building, the balance point between repairing the old and displaying something new is the most interesting challenge to Boeri. Thus in the design plan of WE, Boeri followed the principle of “restoring the old to make it look as before”. On the basis of restoring the building’s appearance in 1934, he kept the original walls of the side façades and respected the return of traditions.

 Boeri upheld the idea of “Chinese style aided with western technology, old hall aided with new court, to display soaring prosperity”. He adopted bold and cutting-edge interior design for the building to stress the pleasant feeling of modern open offices. Every room is windowed and every floor is a connected whole, which makes every floor spacious and warming, giving people the most comfortable experience.

 

Mr. Boeri having exchanges with Ms. Dai Chun and Mr. Shi Qing

 

To a designer, what partners to choose not only is decided by how to present his design better, the agreement between the two sides’ ideas also is the first factor to consider in cooperation.

The cooperation between Mr. Boeri and DOBE Group started in 2014. “DOBE’s understanding of green concept is very forward. They know that real sustainability not only means human’s comfort and building’s energy efficiency, but means the real balance between natural ecology and human cities. Thus they always support the idea of introducing all kinds of plants and species into the city’s high density center.”

 Thus in the design of WE International Hub, Boeri for the first time introduced “Vertical Forest” into Shanghai and into WE International Hub. In the inner court of WE International Hub, the “First Forest” falls from the sky, like a green waterfall and a forest in the center of the city, making the whole building blended into a natural and ecological environment. It let users enjoy the green and poetic flavor before their eyes in this busy downtown where land is as precious as gold.

 The pioneering design idea gave this historical building a new life——WE International Hub (The Bund) not only keeps its cultural essence as a historical building, but also shows the brilliant ideas of modern architecture. The building’s cultural significance as a fusion of Chinese and Western cultures was inherited. Further more, it embodies the harmonious integration of the past and present. In addition, WE connects the hall with enterprises, making vitality and the building blend with each other, and making “common creation” a new pattern of work and life. Next, WE also will focus on enterprise development. Depending on international resources, it will provide enterprises with multiple custom-made enterprise services and international services. WE will start a new office era.

 

Mr. Boeri introducing the project

WE International Hub (The Bund) located at No. 501 Jiujiang Road is an international cultural and creative industry service project developed and operated by DOBE, in the hope that every client can make innovations in product and operation pattern hand in hand, to create an international design exchange center together.

WE is the abbreviation for “West & East”, which means the fusion of eastern and western cultures. In the future, it will be built into an international headquarters office area of cultural and creative industry. It will attract Italian and European top fashion enterprises to settle down, provide them with a platform for office work, promotion and cooperation, display and exchange, and create a cultural and creative industry chain that integrates design, display, marketing, training, and business conference into one.

 WE is the leader of cultural and creative industry, a service platform that integrates high-end international services, the foothold for international enterprises to enter eastern market, and a window and bridge for eastern enterprises to open overseas market.

  Mr. Boeri is a world famous architect, curator, critic and educator. From 2011 to 2013, he worked as Milan’s Deputy Mayor of Culture. He is the Concept Phase General Planner of EXPO Milano 2015 and father of Milan Vertical Forest. In 2014, he won IHP.

For years, the design of high-rise buildings has neglected energy conservation. Towers and skyscrapers almost have become the symbols of energy wastage. Indeed, high density of space usage means intensive energy consumption. The pioneering try of introducing energy-saving technologies, such as solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, into high-rise building design didn’t rise until recent years. Thus today’s high-rise buildings not only need to accumulate energy, but also have to capture energy. Meanwhile, the buildings’ envelope should be able to retain energy and reduce heat loss.

Based on the above thinking, a “Vertical Forest” that can be popularized worldwide and vertically planted with trees of different sizes and varieties was born. We hope she not only can save energy, but also can improve the quality of surrounding environment.