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June 7, 2016

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Home » District » Changning

Complexes built for work and living

By Li Xinran | June 7, 2016, Tuesday | Print Edition

SEVERAL new commercial complexes have emerged recently in Changning, a trend that promises to put the district on par with Shanghai business hotspots like Lujiazui and Jing’an.

Many of the new complexes offer a mix of space for office work, retail, entertainment and even accommodation. This trend coincides naturally with Changning’s developing role as a paradise for local residents and service-sector businesses.

Many of the structures are located in the New Hongqiao Business Circle. Many global fortune 500 companies have settled their Shanghai offices (or even their regional headquarters) inside the project’s glass towers.

The developers behind this project say their vision for a mixed work and living environment will be realized when Raffles City Changning opens to the public early next year. The integrated mixed-use property will comprise Grade-A office tower units and a shopping mall.

‘City within a city’

Located near Metro Line 2, 3 and 4, the site has a gross floor area of nearly 240,000 square meters and cost about 9.6 billion yuan (US$1.46 billion) to develop.

This “city within a city” distinguishes itself not only with world-class architecture but also with a choice mix of tenants that include luxury brands as well as specialty stores, and easy access to transportation.

Once it opens, the new Raffles City, from developer CapitaLand, will be the ninth such Raffles City in the world, and the seventh in China.

“We just replicated the Raffles City DNA,” said Qian Yiqi, regional general manager East China of CapitaLand China.

Since the property is built on the former site of St Mary’s girls school, well-preserved school buildings, including the bell tower, and a 100- year-old ginkgo tree have been preserved on the site as witnesses to history.

A patch of lawn has also been set aside, and will undoubtedly serve as an ideal place for kids to frolic with their parents.

Children and families can also find a good time over at The Place, located just blocks away on Zunyi Road. The Place is a similar mixed-used development that brings together dozens of restaurants and entertainment facilities. Businesses catering to children and families make up about 18 percent of its revenue.

The Place is home to three amusement parks and education centers. Kids can even perform at a mini theater in the building.

While the kids are enjoying themselves The Place also provides parents with a one-stop shopping experience.

In its north wing, moms can find over a dozen shops offering everything from cosmetics and clothing to spa treatments and hair dressing.

Next door, L’Avenue is ready to take visitors on a journey through the world of art. Avant-garde and classic art lovers alike can find plenty to admire on the boutique mall’s fifth floor, which is home to an art gallery and opens all year round. Exhibitions are also frequently held in other parts of the mall.

Walking out of L’Avenue and passing through Maotai Road, Arch Walk is meters away. Its roof features a hanging garden with green trees, shrubs, plants and flowers. There are palm and peach trees, as well as the Japanese arrow wood and rose bushes.

About 80 percent of Arch Walk, the shopping mall, is covered by greenery. A photo from above makes the mall looks more like a botanic garden than a shopping center.

The nearby Shanghai Arch is a Grade-A office twin-tower known for its eye-catching views. The building’s interiors have even been used as filming locations for a popular television show.

But if you want to see movie stars face to face, you get lucky at Star Live Plaza. Located at the intersection of Shuicheng Road and Hongqiao Road, the plaza is home to offices of several heavyweight media companies and film studios.

It’s not unheard for fans to bump into their idols near this plaza, or spot them inside one of its restaurants.

More than business district

Changning District is developing its New Hongqiao Business Cir­cle. The area surrounding this project is also home to several major shopping complexes. By the end of last year, around 550,000 square meters of commercial facilities had been built.

Since the establishment of the Hongqiao Economic and Techno­logical Development Zone in 1986, this area has developed from a mere business district into a mixed zone for working, cultural and leisure.

Changning authorities have decided to link all major commercial complexes in the area with underground corridors connecting to Metro stations. Part of the construction has already begun.

Changning


 

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