Chinese studio Wutopia Lab has used wave-shaped roofs of blue aluminium and translucent fabric to transform an industrial yard in Shanghai into a mixed-use cultural space.
Named Klein Blue Hills and White Cliff after its distinctive roofs, the project is part of a wider initiative to turn the former campus of the Shanghai Marine Instrument General Factory in Pudong District into a creative industry park.
Wutopia Lab focused on a former service yard and duty office at the site, transforming it into a multipurpose square with bold red concrete surfaces.
The cultural space occupies an old industrial yard in Shanghai
"I conceived the plot through symbols, metaphors, mythology, charms, history, and spontaneous ideas," said chief architect of Wutopia Lab Ting Yu, "The knowledge I gained in selecting structures, materials, site analysis, and historical typologies served as a secondary framework between the plot and the design," he continued.
Wutopia Lab's design involved the introduction of two pavilions on either side of an existing brick chimney, which has been repurposed to house a skylit cigar lounge that will act as a signpost or "lighthouse" for the area.
The studio added two structures with wave-shaped roofs to the site
To the north is Klein Blue Hills, topped by an undulating roof covered with aluminium scales in a vibrant shade of blue, informed by the signature colour of French artist Yves Klein.
A fully glazed wall with a wave-like pattern ...