Foster + Partners has unveiled a proposal for Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba's headquarters in Shanghai that will be built within a giant grid.
Alibaba Shanghai will be manufactured off-site before being built on Xuhui Riverside, where it will overlook the Huangpu River and Pudong Central Business District.
Foster + Partners designed the Alibaba headquarters alongside a giant public space that will allow passersby to observe the retailer's "unique working culture" from outside.

"We are delighted to be designing the new Shanghai headquarters for Alibaba, the world?s largest online retailer and e-commerce company," said Luke Fox, head of studio at Foster + Partners.
"Our design emphasises the importance of communication, the integrity of the working community and above all, the creation of an image that reflects the standing of Alibaba," he explained. "The scheme is truly designed from the inside out, centred on a dynamic, sheltered public space capitalising on its amazing location with its views of the Huangpu River and the Bund."

Foster + Partners' design for Alibaba Shanghai will follow a modular approach, utilising off-site production in a bid to reduce waste, ensure quality control and efficient construction.
The exterior's orderly, gridded form will be visible inside the headquarters in the building's central public space or "urban room".
This space will have a pixellated massing developed by Foster + Partners us...