The architectural renovation project of the Citic Square shopping center recently completed by Kokaistudios embodies the intrinsic duality of Shanghai: a futuristic aesthetic that combines multimedia elements side by side with one of the city's best-preserved traditional examples. Located in the Jingan district, the façade of the renovated building, inspired by pixels, breaks the traditional boxy shape to blur the boundaries between the city and the shopping center, between public and private
Historic shopping center integrated into the urban fabric with new "pixel" aesthetics. Renovation of the Citic Square
Dynamic and futuristic, the renovation of the Citic Square, a two-decade-old shopping center in Shanghai, transforms it into a modern-style destination. Breaking the square silhouette of the shopping center through "pixels" that seem to float, the new architecture integrates with the historical surroundings, opening up new vistas and possibilities.
Completed in 2000, the shopping center lacked many of the elements required by the contemporary retail environment: flexible multimedia components, attractive outdoor spaces, and captivating interiors. The renovation not only updates the shopping center in terms of the shopping experience, but successfully reintegrates Citic Square into the fabric of Shanghai by opening up previously hidden views, and playing with volumes to complement the layered urban nature of the shopping center
Pixels are fundamental to Kokaistudios' design approach. Their interpretation is both literal - as in the shopping center's transparent grid facade - and conceptual: individual units that come together to create a cohesive whole. The "pixels" are clearly visible on the side towards Nanjing Road where the old glass and stone facade has been replaced by a series of rectangles and squares of various sizes and degrees of opacity that protrude from the main volume, appearing suspended. The "pixels" act as customizable shop windows for individual stores and together give a three-dimensional effect to the facade
Despite the contemporary connotation, the "pixels" connect the shopping center to its urban context: right in front of it is one of the city's best-preserved lòngtáng, typical of Shanghai and dating back to the early 20th century, a cluster of traditional dwellings two or three stories high. The pixelated facade of the Citic Square creates an aesthetic in line with the old adjacent architecture. The dialogue between old and new continues also through the facade materials of completely transparent glass panels, semi-opaque glass bricks, and UHPC concrete panels
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