Seeking Long Term Urban Development

Protection and Renewal of Industrial Heritages within the Expo Site

By Zhou Jian

"If we would lay a new foundation for urban life, we must understand the historic nature of the city." Lewis Mumford (the prominent US urban historian) once said. The historical and cultural heritages of a city witnessed its past. Today, protection and renewal of these heritages will have double significance -- to preserve and keep a city's cultural tradition and nature, and to build new city life. It is a rewarding attempt, linking the past and the future.

Industrial heritages refer to those remains of industrial activities, with historical, technological, architectural and scientific values, or with profound social values. Protection of industrial heritages is quite different from the protection of cultural relics, which only requires well preservation. Based on the building spatial features and historic information involved, new functions shall be input, to meet new city life requirements.

Expo Site is an agglomeration of modern industrial civilization and industrial buildings. A large amount of factories represented by Jiangnan Shipyard, a shipbuilder founded in 1865 driven by Westernization Movement, witnessed the growth and development of our modern national industry. With the proceeding of Expo site constructions, Expo organizers will have to face the problem -- how to deal with these old factory buildings, dismantling, renovating, or preserving. According to Expo master plan, the remained and renovated buildings shall be reused, to build up new spatial configurations and meet Expo functional requirements, particularly, the nature and cultural background of this land will be kept.

The most valuable historical memories

Expo site is planned on both sides of Huangpu River. Riverside layout will become a highlight and attraction in Expo Shanghai.

At the bank of Huangpu River, there existing the most important large scale shipbuilding and relevant research and development base in China, the earliest steel works, the earliest water works, the first foreign funded cotton mill, the earliest gas and heating supply plant, and the earliest large span workshop, etc. The giant tower cranes in the morning twilight and the splendid docks under the dusk sunshine are always unforgettable riverside scenes to people in Shanghai.

Such an industrial building complex, witnessed the development of modern national industry along Huangpu River, cherishes the precious historical memories, most deserving our respect and protection. Its future is our concern.

Expo Shanghai master planning attaches much importance to the functional layout along both sides of Huangpu River, with particular emphasis on how to protect these industrial heritages. Related preparation works covering all aspects, including building justification, investment and economic analysis, functional studies, and after expo utilization, etc. How to protect and reuse old buildings is an important part of Expo theme development.

Three-grade protection principle

According to Expo Shanghai master planning, buildings within Expo site need to be protected and be kept will fall into three categories: historic & cultural site and excellent & historical buildings, preserved historical buildings, and other preserved buildings. Different preserve and renovation strategies will be applied based on building conditions, and Expo and urban development requirements.

Historic & cultural site and excellent & historical buildings, including cultural relic buildings and excellent historical buildings in Shanghai, are permanently retained buildings according to law. Such kind of building is not allowed for demolishing, and positive maintenance and renovation shall be made.

Preserved historical buildings refer to historical constructions (except grade one buildings mentioned above) with distinctive features in building style, structure, decoration, and culture and history. They are also permanent buildings. It is suggested that such buildings shall not be wholly dismantled, and proper maintenance and reuse shall be took into consideration. Extension and renovation of these buildings shall not destroy the original appearances and nature. Different preserve and reuse methods will be adopted in accordance with the historical, scientific and artistic values, and integration of these buildings.

Other preserved buildings are those usable ordinary constructions, whose structures and building styles can meet Expo space and support service requirements, including industrial buildings, and public and utility facilities. Reuse of such buildings shall be subject to regulatory plans of pavilion and support facilities construction.

Furthermore, a large number of ground level facilities and structures, such as wharfs, hulls, docks, tracks, and cranes, are also shall be kept and be rebuilt into open exhibit platforms, large scale open public spaces, or open structural landscapes.

"Secondary development" internal circulation system

Since the very beginning, cost saving principle has been implemented during Expo preparation, construction and organization. During the whole process, relevant authorities have been considering the interactions between harmonious urban renewal and economic development.

Participant countries and corporations will have their specific requirements concerning pavilion constructions. Therefore, the early site preparation will focus on infrastructures. Building construction capitals will be input in later stages. For instance, the renovation and reuse of Jiangnan Shipyard will form an inner circulation system, called "secondary development", which will be applied not only before and after Expo, but in Expo site constructions. Renovation will always go ahead of construction in concrete implementations. In early stage, government funded infrastructure renovation will be carried out on shipyard site, including public environment, public spaces, public transportation facilities, etc. Once municipal infrastructure and structural renovations are ready, necessary interfaces and connections shall be reserved for reform of large space pavilions; multiple social investments will be introduced into Expo site constructions in later stages to meet different expo functional requirements. This is a flexible and innovative way, leading a new mode in renovating large scale historical and cultural heritages, other than the previous solely government input and renovation model.

Seeking long term urban development

Previous renovation projects just saw simple industrial function transformation. Expo Shanghaimaster planning drew a wonderful picture of keeping industrial civilization as well as building Expo culture since the very beginning, combining the holding of a large event with protecting of urban industrial heritages.

These industrial heritages will be incorporated into the whole area during Expo season, and then be merged into the whole city, once Expo boundaries disappear, and become an organic part of Shanghai. After Expo, the whole area will face a "secondary development", building up a flagship district, guiding city life on both sides of Huangpu River. Values of cultural resources and industrial heritages within Expo area will be enlarged by the special nature of Expo, becoming unprecedented cultural treasures in this area or even in Shanghai, to create more social, economic and cultural benefits to the long term urban development.