Shanghai West Bund Orbit

WSP tailored top-class MEP design for this new cutting-edge exhibition hall nestled within the heart of Xuhui District’s new financial hub in Shanghai.

Location

Shanghai, China

Client

Hongkong Land

Architect

Heatherwick Studio

Project Status

Completed; Opened in 2023

The West Bund Orbit in Shanghai, developed by Hongkong Land, serves to become a social and cultural centrepiece that blends art, architecture, and innovation along the Huangpu riverbank.

Designed by Heatherwick Studio, this prominent landmark features a series of interwoven ‘ribbon’ staircases that spiral around the structure, which echoes the form of classic Chinese moon bridges but with a futuristic twist, imparting a sense of constant rotational motion that gives it a dynamic and captivating appearance.

Nestled within the heart of Xuhui District’s new Financial Hub in Shanghai, this intricate structure covers an area of over 5,000 sq.m. The structure comprises a perimeter gallery, a rooftop garden, an open-air canopy, and an inner exhibition hall, creating a multi-faceted space for social and cultural activities. As a long-term partner of Hongkong Land to shape the area as the next-generation financial hub, WSP was again appointed by the client the MEP consultant of this project.

Innovative, efficient and reliable building system

To design reliable and energy-efficient building systems, we have adopted several innovative solutions: a new highly efficient air-cooled heat pump unit as the cold and heat source, heat recovery ventilation system, and smart thermal balancing valves for the water system.

As a functional structure primarily used for exhibitions, we have implemented two independent municipal power supply designs for the entire building. We therefore adopted temporary mobile generators with a maximum capacity of up to 800 kVA as a backup to support the power flexibility and the building’s steady operation.

The structure incorporates a cable trench distribution system, forming a loop within the exhibition centre, offering multiple paths for power supply to multiple distribution boards to ensure system reliability. Each exhibition distribution box offers multiple three-phase and single-phase power supply circuits to accommodate diverse power demand of different exhibition settings.

Creating a healthy indoor environment

In coordination with the façade and architectural design, WSP has employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to verify the air distribution and thermal comfort conditions in the exhibition halls. Multiple fresh air purification and filtration measures have been incorporated into the design to ensure a constant supply of fresh air during activities, in particular during crowded events.

Our CFD study of air flow inside the venue

Weatherproofing by intricate drainage design

The building features a winding ribbon-like staircase that provides access to each floor, including the rooftop.

During the design stage, WSP’s Future Ready approach informed the design of a reliable drainage system for extreme weather. We collaborated with the client and other parties extensively for six months to research and simulate of the final design of the drainage system. Apart from intercepting ditches along each staircase, we also introduced:

Roof drainage: Roof rainwater gutters are installed according to the slope direction, and rainwater collectors are placed at the lowest point. Moreover, rainwater cutoff trenches are set on the ground in front of the roof elevator to prevent rainwater from entering the lift shaft.

Flower beds drainage: This system is designed in a stepped manner, with pipes connected at the bottom of each greenery-filled basin. The drainage flows to the next basin, and ultimately, systematically collected by the lowest one to the catch pits. This reduces the risk of water leakage caused by drainage pipes penetrating the floor slabs while ensuring balanced irrigation for each flower bed.

Our tailored drainage system along the staircase and the flower beds

Ingenious integration with architectural aesthetics

In close collaboration with Heatherwick Studio during the conceptual design phase, WSP has integrated MEP pipelines, air vents, and ceiling designs with curved variations effectively. Through continuous coordination in the BIM model, the clear height control of key nodes in each area was ensured. In conjunction with the design of the building's fifth facade, the intake and exhaust louvers have been incorporated into the rooftop trellis structure.

The distribution of high-level smoke extraction and air conditioning pipelines on the rooftop has been carefully planned to optimise space utilisation and maintain a harmonious integration of building systems and architectural aesthetics.

Situated on the bank of the Huangpu River, the West Bund Orbit enjoys excellent panoramic views, and hence inspired a dynamic rooftop garden. WSP fully incorporated the building form to minimise rooftop equipment and ventilation louvers. Temporary air-cooled heat pump units were integrated into the site design, with chilled and hot water pipes introduced into the building through underground piping. Smoke exhaust fans were installed in the mezzanine level, and louvers were seamlessly integrated into the building facade, collectively creating a spacious, comfortable, breathable, aesthetically pleasing rooftop garden.

A well-secured smart venue

To support this top-class multi-functional exhibition hall, WSP has created a comprehensive operation and management platform integrating various smart technologies, including IoT, big data management and user services, to offer occupants a convenient and smart experience. It includes wireless WiFi 6 access point system to provide secure network environment and real time high-speed communications; public safety and video surveillance systems for monitoring the open spaces, and smart intrusion alarm system to prevent security loopholes and ensure the safety of exhibitions.