REN

PROJECT: PEOPLE’S BUILDING SHANGHAI
COLLABORATORS: JDS, NIRAS
SIZE: 50,000 M2, ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS: 500,000 M2
LOCATION: WORLD EXPO SITE, SHANGHAI, CN


The REN building is a proposal for a hotel, sports and conference center for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The building is conceived as two buildings merging into one. The first building, emerging from the water, is devoted to the activities of the body, and houses the sports and water culture center. The second building emerging from land, is devoted to the spirit and enlightenment, and houses the conference center and meeting facilities. The two buildings meet in a 1000 room hotel, and forms the Chinese sign for the word “People”, becoming a recognizable landmark for the World Expo in China. Together the two buildings become a tower and an arch at once. The arch creates a square for gatherings and activities, exactly on the main axis of the expo site overlooking the HuangPu River. The square is sheltered from the rain, but allows the sunlight through, from east in the morning and from west in the evening. Large curved plazas cover the pool and conference buildings, creating a continuous recreational public space along the river. Round openings and rooflights bring light to the auditoriums and pools, and become gradually denser as they rise from the river, eventually becomming glittering windows and terraces for the hotel rooms. The REN building could be the Eiffel Tower of Shanghai, a landmark symbolising the people oriented persuit of the Shanghai Expo 2010.

REN CREDIT LIST

Partner-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels
Project Leader: Andreas Pedersen
Contributers: Andrew Griffen, Bo Benzon, Christian Dam, Damita Yu, David Zahle, Jakob Christensen, Jakob Lange, Jan Tanaka, Julie Schmidt-Nielsen, Karsten Hammer Hansen, Katrin Betschinger, Kristoffer Harling, Mia Frederiksen, Mia Scheel Kristensen, Nanna Gyldholm Møller, Narisara Ladawal, Sophus Søbye, Thomas Christoffersen