SHANGHAI, China – September 2, 2021 – The CRTKL-designed ShuiOn Hongqiao, colloquially known as “The Hub,” was awarded a 2021 ULI Global Award for Excellence. Being recognized at this level represents the highest standards of achievement in the land use profession.
Shanghai’s 26-square kilometer Hongqiau Transportation Hub is the world’s largest transit center. In its midst is CRTKL’s design for ShuiOn Hongqiao (“The Hub”) — an urban oasis providing a provisional escape from the intersection of eight forms of transit that see the transfer of up to 1.1 million passengers daily. CRTKL was responsible for the interior design of this project.
“The Hub is centered on the idea of connectivity,” begins May Wei, Principal at CRTKL. “It takes advantage of Shanghai’s many interconnected transit links to create a new, three-dimensional space with a variety of implementations for all walks of life.”
Travel can be hectic, and ShuiOn Hongqiao caters to guests seeking time and space to escape and relax. A variety of green spaces connect one functional area to another, helping to ease navigation and placing the guest at ease. Clean, contemporary interiors are complemented by an abundance of natural finishes and indoor landscaping, and a series of overlapping openings and bridges connecting each of the project’s eight levels create geometric patterns that shift and change the space as it is experienced vertically. Mini retail districts, market-style food and beverage and a VIP lounge with wine bars and a stunning view enhance the consumer experience. Unique amenities, such as a check-in station that allows passengers to check their bags directly rather than having to go to the terminal, create synergy between spaces and increase efficiency. ShuiOn Hongqiao was designed to pursue LEED Silver certification.
“We are so excited for The Hub to be recognized by ULI as a globally influential space,” begins Jeff Gunning, Principal at CRTKL. “It’s not often that transportation centers are honored for their beauty and three-dimensionality; The Hub is helping to re-define what travel spaces can be.”
ULI began the Awards for Excellence program in 1979 to recognize truly superior development efforts in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. In 2021, 45 projects and programs that had been named as winners across the three ULI regions in 2020 and 2021 were considered as global finalists. From this impressive field, the jury ultimately selected the nine winners and five special mentions.