Yuyuan will become the center of oriental design through expansion

Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden Malls will become a pilot area for oriental design aesthetics with major expansion to meet the city’s ambition to become a “design capital of the world”.

Old Town Malls will see the biggest expansion in its more than 460-year history as it connects the nearby alley-style neighborhood to the Bund Financial Center.

The design concept of “oriental aesthetics of life” will be involved in both the massive protection of historic buildings and the planning of additional commercial blocks, Ni Qiang, chairman of Yuyuan Incd, told World Design Cities. Conference (WDCC) this weekend.

Compared to Western fashion design, Eastern aesthetics focus on design elements involved in traditional Chinese cultures, folk arts, heritage skills, age-old products, historic buildings, and urban planning.

“The Grand Yuyuan Garden’s sprawling shopping malls will become a global fashion and culture exhibition venue with the theme of ‘Eastern aesthetics of life’, blending East and West as well as the old and new,” Ni said at a WDCC event themed “Design Creates Happiness.” .”

After the extension, the shopping centers will have a total construction area of ​​one million square meters, which is ten times the current commercial facilities.

It will become a demonstration of Shanghai’s urban renewal campaign, to preserve the city’s old residential areas and convert them into stores for centuries-old and international brands, fashion designer studios, international fashion schools and innovative workshops. as well as spaces for exhibition and cultural exchange.

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The Yuyuan district in Shanghai’s old town is the home of the city’s people and haipai, or cultures à la Shanghai. It is from a prosperous market of the city god temple.

A number of traditional Shanghai brands, such as gold and jewelry brands Laomiao and First Asia, Shanghai Watch and Seagull Watch as well as Lu Bo Lang restaurant have been opened and developed in the malls.

Many listed “intangible cultural heritages” such as the annual lantern fair, woodcarvings of Xiaojiaochang (literally meaning “small drilling ground”), and cooking skills of Shanghai cuisine are also protected and promoted here.

“They formed the special quality of oriental aesthetics of life and laid the foundation for Yuyuan to become a design industrial center,” Ni said.

He unveiled two inaugural projects for malls to become a demonstration area for oriental aesthetic design – the Chinese New Year Lantern Fair in 2023 and a grand gala on China’s intangible cultural heritages.

The lantern fair in the newly renovated Yuyuan shopping malls will showcase the cultural elements of the 4th century BC Chinese classic text. “Shanhaijing” (Classic of Mountains and Seas), which is about fascinating mythical creatures.

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These mythical creatures will be exhibited on traditional Yuyuan lanterns, a national heritage-listed craftsmanship. The fair aims to attract more young customers with cosplay games and events about traditional Chinese cultures.

The first Oriental Artisan Star Gala will invite most of the best heirs of the country’s heritage know-how to shopping malls. The masters will host seminars, forums, exhibitions and auctions. A traditional bazaar will be held on the iconic Zigzag Bridge to attract family visitors.

Meanwhile, the annual Shanghai Customization Fashion Week will be held in malls in November, bringing together many of the country’s young designers and high fashion brands. The event aims to be on par with the world’s top fashion events in Milan and Paris.

“The future design center of ‘Oriental aesthetics of life’ in Yuyuan will become a leading leisure spot for families and a strong impetus for the city’s future development and soft power,” said Xu Xiaoliang. , President of Shanghai International Fashion Federation and Co-CEO of Fosun International.

During the expansion of shopping malls in Yuyuan, about 120,000 square meters of old residential buildings in Fuyou Road community will be preserved. They include Shi Chun Tang at 137 Wutong Road, the former family residence of Ming cadre Pan Yunduan (1526-1601), owner of Yuyuan Garden, which was later converted into a Catholic church and library. The Ming Dynasty building includes many Western ornaments on its window and door frames.

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