Shanghai Lujiazui Exhibition Centre by OMA

OMA’s first project in Shanghai, the Lujiazui Exhibition Centre is completed with its construction and ready to open its doors to its visitors in the next few months. The building, in all its might, sits greeting at the riverfront and the last bit of the city. This comes after the city is consciously trying to develop its riverfront. For people coming in from the river, it invites them with its design. The project is located on a site which was once used for Shanghai Shipyard and hence the designers decided to use the slope as its concept. The space for the events is done on an existing ramp while the rest of the building is based around that design. The slope for the new building begins where the existing ramp ended, establishing a connection between the history and the present. What stands out as the design invention is the huge cantilever the building rests on. On the facade, the glass structure is protected by a lattice of metal grids, giving the rooms inside, a spacious feel which is ideal for hosting screenings, fashion shows and exhibitions etc.