Old cement plant to become an innovation hub

A former cement factory in Pudong is being transformed into a major innovation park as part of Shanghai's latest urban renewal efforts.

The Zhangjiang Shang project is repurposing a 1971 industrial site into a 440,000-square-meter hub for high-tech industries and public culture.

The project in Zhangjiang Science City preserves key industrial structures, including the massive warehouse, cement silo cluster, and kiln tower, while introducing new design features.

Completion is scheduled for late 2026, with full public opening expected in 2027.

Architect Ma Yansong, one of the leading designers, said the project aims to create a dialogue between past and future.

"We reused the original cement warehouse walls but replaced the roof with a floating ark-like structure," Ma said. "It creates a contrast – old and new coexisting in one space."

A glass curtain wall will suspend from the new construction, enclosing a large public area that includes restaurants and bookstores. Ma calls it a "city living room," designed to invite people into what was once a heavy industrial site.

The project was spotlighted during the SEA-Hi Forum's 30th session on July 6, which was held on-site at the under-construction Zhangjiang Shang project.

City officials and planners emphasized its role as a model for Shanghai's urban redevelopment strategy.

"The transformation of Zhangjiang is a key part of our innovation-driven urban agenda," Xu Mingqian, deputy director of the Shanghai Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, told the forum.

"We're not just building new structures – we're reshaping how people live, work, and interact."

Ma said the project avoids the blank state approach of wiping out the old. "Nothing new can be built on a blank page," he said.

"Even if the surface is cleared, the people and their stories remain. This space becomes a bridge between what was and what's next."