Xin Tian Di

Background

Location:

The Taipingqiao Redevelopment Project is in the Luwan District of downtown Shanghai. It is one block

south of the prestigious Huai Hai Zhong Road and the Huangpi Nan Road metro station, and is close to

the intersection of Shanghai's major urban freeways.

History:

Xintiandi (“new heaven and earth” in Chinese) used to be a 30,000-square-meter neighbourhood

located nearby Huaihai Road, a well-known high-quality shopping street in Luwuan District in central

Shanghai. The houses in this neighbourhood were Shikumen lane houses, a typical local folk house style

with mixed features of Chinese traditional houses and European architecture elements and the

architectural symbol of early 20th century Shanghai. One of the old Shikumen is the birthplace of the

Communist Party, which later became a local Museum. Over the years, the neighbourhood was sadly

deteriorated because of lack of maintenance and overcrowded with high-density population.

Shikumen- In the early 1900s, the Shikumen lanes were considered among the younger generation as

the ultimate examples of dilapidated, crowded and wretched urban living. Luckily for the generations to

follow, a few literary masterpieces were written by writers infatuated with the lane's architecture which

introduced people to the hidden beauty of Shikumen.

The Stone-hooped Doors and Shikumen- In the Shanghai dialect, wrapping or bundling is called

'hooping', giving rise to phrases like 'hooping a bucket', so doors 'hooped' by stone bars were called

Stoned-hooped doors, and later the name changed to Shikumen. Generally, the Shikumen-style

buildings have long bars of stones as doorframes and burly wooden planks as doors, each fixed with a

huge bronze ring.

The origin of Shikumen buildings can be traced back to the 1860s. In 1860, the Taiping Rebels led by Li

Xiucheng advanced east, conquering a string of important towns in eastern China, causing an influx of

refugees from southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang into the foreign settlements in Shanghai. To

accommodate this inflax of refugees, local merchants were encouraged to invest in housing for these

people. To use the limited land more efficiently, the houses built were in most cases rows of Shikumen-

style buildings.

These buildings reflect a mix of Chinese and foreign styles of architecture. Shikumen-style buildings have

certain elements of the west, but most of the design and layout is in line with that of the "Jiangnan" area

of eastern China. Behind the Shikumen door is a courtyard, and further inside is a living room, locally

known as a parlour, and then there is the back courtyard, kitchen and back door. To the sides of the

courtyard and the parlour are the right and left wing rooms. The layout of the second storey is similar to

the one below, but above the kitchen is the garret, above which is a flat roof. The typical buildings of the

Shikumen style can be seen within Xingrenli - an area of 1.33 square kilometers defined by the east side

of Henanzhong Road, Ningbo Road and Beijing Road; and also within Dunrenli, Mianyangli and Jixiangli,

all near the Xinmatou Street close to Zhongshannan Road.

After the early 1900s, Shanghai's households became smaller in size and the residents' living patterns

underwent major changes. The structure and layout of the Shikumen-style houses also changed as a

result. Smaller units, without wing rooms and suitable for small households, appeared, together with

somewhat larger units with one parlour and one wing room. These new two-or-three-storey Shikumen

houses were separated by lanes four meters wide. Humble "Tingzijian" rooms were found at the turn of

the staircases while verandahs were added to the facades. After the 1920s, sewerage systems were

installed. Typical examples of such Shikumen buildings are the Jingan Villa on Nanjingxi Road, and the

Daluxin Villa on Shanyin Road.

After the 1930s, Shanghai faced a housing shortage, so the owners of Shikumen-style buildings rented

out some of the rooms. Since then most Shikumen-style buildings have had their original layouts altered

and became mansions housing more than one family.

Life in the Lanes- Shikumen-style houses formed the basis of the "Li Long" (lane) community where

private spheres and public spaces overlapped. In this community, everyone knew everyone else's

business. As the density of the community rose, some family activities were often moved to public

spaces.

A Valuable Architectural Legacy- At their peak, the Shikumen-style neighbourhoods numbered more

than 9000 in Shanghai and took up 60 per cent of the total housing space of the city. The Shikumen

style, which has survived for more than a century, is however no longer suitable for modern urban living.

Since the 1990s, Shanghai began a new wave of renovation and development, demolishing many

Shikumen-style buildings. It was only when more and more of these houses were replaced by

skyscrapers that people began to realize such monuments of Shanghai's past deserve to be preserved.

Project Concept:

Many cities around the world have their own landmark architecture set in old districts that were

renovated into famous tourist spots. Mr Vincent H S Lo, chairman of the Shui On Group, believed that

Shanghai in the 21st century would become an important international metropolis. Shanghai Xintiandi

provided an answer for preserving the old architecture of Shanghai that would be representative of its

historical and cultural heritage.

A city-core development project consisting of office, residential, commercial, retail, entertainment

and cultural properties in the heart of the city, the Taipingqiao Redevelopment Project blends the

architecture and charm of “Old Shanghai” with modern features and facilities to create an integrated

community. The main components of this project are Shanghai Xintiandi, Corporate Avenue and

Lakeville.

Details of the Development

Planning:

In order to redevelop, reuse and improve the function and facility of the inner city, S.O.M. designated

four parts in the plan:

1. An historical area preserved as a complex for business, restaurants, entertainment and tourism, of

which the main part is Xintiandi

2. Corporate Avenue international business district;

3. Lakeville premier residential area zone;

4. Shopping and entertainment centre (a Broadway-style theatre and retail and entertainment outlets )

and Taipingqiao Lake and Park with a 44,000 sqm lake as the green area. The lake is the largest man-

made lake in downtown Shanghai, covering 12,000 square metres.

Shanghai Xintiandi - It is located on the western edge of the entire project and south of the

prestigious Huai Hai Zhong Road.

Xintiandi is divided into the North and South Blocks.

In the North Block, antique buildings with their modern interior design, decorations and equipment play

host to a dazzling array of restaurants putting on display the full international dimension of Shanghai

Xintiandi. The dividing line between the two blocks, Xingye Road, is the site of the First Congress Hall of

the Chinese Communist Party.

In the South Block, modern architecture is the motif while Shikumen is an accompaniment. Aside from a

series of international restaurants representing the flavors of the world, there are classy boutiques,

accessory shops, a food court, a movie cinema, a great one-stop fitness centre as well as luxurious

serviced apartments. There is also an underground carpark with 220 parking spaces.

The North Block is characterized by the historic and renovated Shikumen buildings; in contrast, the

South Block is defined by its sleek modern architecture style.

Corporate Avenue – Corporate Avenue is on the bustling Hubin Road at the north end of Taipingqiao

Lake. Adjacent to Shanghai Xintiandi, the renowned urban retail and entertainment area, it is a short

walk from Huangpi Nan Road metro station on Huai Hai Zhong Road.

Corporate Avenue is developed for multinational companies in Shanghai and is destined to become the

core of the Luwan business district in downtown Shanghai. The completed Phase 1 of Corporate Avenue

recalls the Art Deco style that is characteristic of Shanghai's architecture in the 1930s while offering the

latest "smart" office building services and facilities.

Located in the central business district of Huai Hai Zhong Road, it becomes the top commercial hub in

Shanghai.

Built along the 1.2km stretch of Hubin Road on the north border of the Taipingqiao Lake, it has stunning

views of the Lake and Shanghai Xintiandi.

The buildings are equipped with world-class technology and communications systems, and serviced with

quality property management services.

Lakeville- The project is located on the southern side of Taipingqiao Lake. It is within walking distance

of the renowned Shanghai Xintiandi, the Huai Hai Zhong Road business district and the Huangpi Nan

Road metro station.

It offers modern amenities in a serene living environment and proximity to entertainment and business

facilities in downtown Shanghai.

Phases and Time Frames:

Phase Area Completion Date

Phase 1 Shanghai Xintiadi Site Area- 30,000sqm

Gross Floor Area- 57,000 sqm

2001

Lakeville* Gross Floor Area- 49,000 sqm 2003

Corporate Avenue Gross Floor Area- 390,000 sqm 2004

Phase 2 Lakeville Regency** Gross Floor Area- 136,000 sqm 2006

Phase 3 Casa Lakeville*** Gross Floor Area- 98,000 sqm 2009

*It consists of three low-rise apartment buildings, two high-rise buildings and two villas, providing 283

units of between 105 and 500 sq.m. each. 40% of the site is landscaped area with recreational amenities

including an indoor heated swimming pool and a clubhouse.

**It features 17 blocks comprising 645 units of between 93 and 660 sq.m. each. It also has a 7,000-sq.m.

deluxe clubhouse offering a full range of exclusive facilities

*** The project, in a modern, minimalist style, features 11 blocks to provide 474 units. The sizes of one-

to-four bedroom units range from 89 sq.m. to 430 sq.m. Besides, Casa Lakeville is equipped with

supporting facilities such as a 3,000-sq.m. deluxe clubhouse and a flagship centre for fashion brands.

Renovation/ Restoration/ Conservation/ Heritage

The Preservation of Shikumen Architecture:

Shanghai Xintiandi's Shikumen attraction was created by converting residential blocks into a

multifunctional dining, retail and entertainment center flowing with restaurants, boutiques, cafes and

bars of an international standard. The Shikumen buildings within Shanghai Xintiandi retain the antique

walls, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai, while the internal spaces have been

designed and decorated to suit the up tempo lifestyle of the 21st century urbanites, with infinite details

that exude the casual elegance of modern city living. Shanghai Xintiandi is where "yesterday meets

tomorrow in Shanghai today."

A lot of time and effort were spent on the design and construction stages to preserve the old

architecture. Yet the beautifully restored old buildings also boast the latest modern facilities, such as

modern M&E systems, escalators and concealed fibre-optics.

To design Shanghai Xintiandi, the Shui On Group hired the services of Wood and Zapata Inc, a US-based

architectural firm specialised in renovating old buildings, and the Singapore office of Nikken Sekkei

International Ltd., Shanghai Tongji University's Urban Planning, Design and Research Institute is its

architectural consultant. The designers needed to consider Xintiandi from several perspectives: the

importance of preserving historical buildings, the need for urban development, as well as functional

considerations of the buildings. As a result, most of the old Shikumen buildings on the northern plot

have been restored and complemented by some appropriate modern buildings. The southern plot is

mainly made up of new constructions in a contemporary style, mixed with a small number of preserved

Shikumen buildings. A pedestrian path links up the northern and southern plots.

Restoring the Shikumen House- The area previously housed about 2,300 families, amounting to more

than 8,000 people. The Shui On Group has invested over US$75 million to relocate these residents. The

Shikumen houses have been restored to meet the aesthetic and practical needs of the new tenants. All

the Shikumen houses at Xintiandi are equipped with the latest modern facilities, including concealed

fibre-optic and air-conditioning systems, to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability. Yet many original

architectural features had been retained. The dry brick -wall, a specific feature of Shikumen houses, is

one example.

Preserving the Old Bricks and Tiles- In order to reflect Shikumen's true history, the original bricks

and tiles have been preserved as rebuilding materials. The old bricks and tiles were primarily laid with a

costly moisture proof chemical fluid imported from Germany. Before the roofs were paved, they were

covered with two layers of waterproofing and heat insulation materials. The price for these old bricks

and tiles proved far higher than that of new ones.

Installing the Modern Facilities in Old Building- Shikumen-style houses formed the basis of the "Li

Long" (lane) community where private spheres and public spaces overlapped. In this community,

everyone knew everyone else's business. As the density of the community rose, some family activities

were often moved to public spaces.

Use (Transformation)

Xintiandi covers two city blocks in the French Concession district of Shanghai, an area that was

or iginally developed in the 1920's, dur ing Shanghai's colonial per iod, when the city was a

cosmopolitan, louche trading port. The French Concession is distinguished by tree-lined streets of

two-story, gray-brick houses that have stone arches for doorways and terra-cotta tile roofs.

Narrow alleyways intersect the streets, giving passage from one to the next.

After 1949, the buildings in the French Concession were turned into communal dwellings, with as

many as 10 families living in a house intended for one, and the area became known for

overcrowding and poor sanitation. Much of the neighborhood still consists of multiple dwellings,

and a walk through its streets invar iably involves navigating laundry lines strung between

lampposts, ducking under flapping shirts and, in winter, dripping pairs of thermal long johns

(buildings in Shanghai, as in all Chinese cities south of the Yangtze, have no central heating, and

the winters are cold and damp), and skirting chairs draped with quilts that, according to Chinese

custom, have been brought outside for a daily air ing.

Xintiandi, however, displays none of the messiness of real lives being lived. Owned by a developer

from Hong Kong and designed by the New York-based architecture firm of Wood & Zapata, it

follows the festival marketplace formula established in America at Quincy Market in Boston and

the South Street Seaport in New York. Ades of the most significant buildings have been preserved,

and design elements from the or iginal structures have been incorporated into the new ones.

To make way for Xintiandi, hundreds of residents were compelled to relocate to suburbs or high-

rise apartment blocks, the kind of housing that has prolifer ated in Shanghai as far as the eye can

see,which, given the pollution and typically misty, moist weather, isn't very far. Xintiandi is a kind

of Shanghai- land, alleys run between buildings just as they did in the old days, although rather

less narrow spaces have also been opened up to allow for open-air cafes selling French pastr ies in

an atmosphere of rather more graciousness than is histor ically accurate.

Use Area Location Opening Date

Boutique Shops North Block

Shikumen Open House Museum Area- 367.2 sqm

Gross Floor Area-

513.9 sqm

North Block

One Xintiandi- Shui On Group Clubhouse North Block

Art Studio North Block

Restaurants/Cafes/Bars/Lounges North Block

88Xintiandi- A Luxury Boutique Hotel South Block

Shopping, Entertainment and Leisure

Complex

25,000 sqm South Block Mid 2002

Corporate- Office Buildings with commercial

and entertainment complexes

390,000 sqm 2004

The property value in the surrounding area has already risen and continues to rise-more rapidly than in

other parts of the city. The current land rate in the area is over US$ 15000 per square meter , compared

to US$ 2700 per square meter in 2002.

Financials/ Project Development

Investors and Partners:

In 1997, Hong Kong developer – Shui On Group, using its relationship with the district government,

signed a 50 years, 52 hectares of land, 3 billion US dollars investment Taipingqiao area land lease with

Luwandistrict government.

According to the contract, the private developer will provide capital for the redevelopment, and local

district government will provide subsidies and take responsibility for the relocation of original residents.

The idea of redeveloping Xintiandi was initiated in 1997. The local district government wanted to

redevelop the whole 52-ha Taipingqiao Area, in which Xintiandi is part of the project. They asked

Vincent Lo, the director of Hong Kong Shui On Group and a former business partner of the local officials,

to provide some advice. One stipulation was that the old party hall has to be preserved. Understanding

the prime position of Taipingqiao area, Lo decided to invite the famous Skidmore, Owen and Merril LLP

(S.O.M.) from US to master plan the area and Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF) and Palmer & Turner to design

the area’s office buildings. Architect Benjamin Wood worked on the restoration of the old residential

area.

The Original Residents:

In the first phase of relocation, relocated families were compensated at an average of $15,600. This was

considered a good term in 1997, and many families were content to take the monetary compensation

and left.

However, real estate prices in Shanghai skyrocketed in the next few years. Although the compensation

was raised to $20,000, it is far from enough to purchase an apartment unit in the city.

The families are mostly lower-income residents living in extremely crowded conditions. Since the

calculation of compensation is based on living area ins tead of the number of residents, it is impossible

for these families to buy an apartment in the city that is large enough to accommodate all family

members.

The families have been negotiating with the local government for on-site relocation. Therefore the

relocation methods in the XTD areas included partially in-kind (offsite), partially monetary

compensation.

Total Investment:

Shui on Group agreed to invest 3 billion US dollars over the next 15 years, which is 97% of the total

investment. The remaining 3% is provided by Shanghai Fuxing Development Corporation, a state

enterprise owned by the Luwan district government. Shui On Group had great autonomy in deciding the

direction and design of the redevelopment. Shui On Group thus recommended Skidmore, Owings and

Merrill LLP (SOM) to Luwan District Government to design a controlling detailed master plan of the

Taipingqiao area. The SOM plan was then approved by Shanghai Municipal City Planning Administration

in 1997.

Xintiandi is one of the earliest projects implemented under private finance initiative to preserve old

building in a city, which is normally a task only for the public sector and public finance.

Total investment on Xintiandi= US$ 170 million.

The investment in preserving each old building is several times higher compared with new building

construction, with 20,000 Yuan (US$2,415) per square meters. In the end, most of the investment in

the project came from the budget of the company. The bank’s loan, US$45 million (30% of the total

investment), only arrived at the end of 1999, one year after the project started.

The flagship of Shui On group in Shanghai, Xintiandi takes up only 6 per cent of the 52-hectare site off

fashionable Huai Hai Zhong Lu. The rest of the land is being developed into residential and office towers

- Shui On is now marketing some of the completed space, to good response.

Xintiandi’s success has helped to raise the property value in the area s ignificantly and turned the

surrounding area into the most expensive real estate in the city.

Areas:

Phase 1 has a gross floor area of 83,000 sq.m, with an occupancy rate of over 98% (not sure about this

data).

Area Name Site Area (Ha) Gross Floor Area (Sqm)

Shanghai Xintiandi (Historic Restoration Zone in

Taipingqiao Project)

3 57,000

Corporate Avenue (Corporate Headquarters Zone in

Taipingqiao Project)

4,16,000

Lakeville(Large-scale Prestigious Residentials in Taipingqiao

Project)

5,51,000

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