Qin Pang presents Flow Bund at Yangpu Riverside Urban Regeneration Forum

Qin Pang, Director and Head of Shanghai Studio at Benoy, presented the design scheme for Flow Bund at the Yangpu Riverside Urban Regeneration and Historic Building Revitalisation Forum earlier this month.

The forum was held at the former Minghua Sugar Factory, a heritage landmark along the Yangpu waterfront, and jointly organised by CITIC Pacific (China) Investment Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yangpu Riverside Investment & Development (Group) Co., Ltd., and East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., with guidance from the Shanghai Architectural Society.

In his keynote, titled ​“Coexistence and Mutual Flourishing of Urban Renewal and Historic Buildings,” Pang outlined an approach that brings historic fabric and contemporary design into symbiosis. He spoke about ​‘unity with diversity’ – honouring historic textures while introducing contemporary materials and spatial experiences.

Using Flow Bund as a case study, Pang explained how the project draws from the site’s century-old industrial heritage and Shanghai’s lilong culture, the city’s distinctive lane-house neighbourhoods shaped by narrow alleys and close-knit community life. Four historic buildings are adaptively reused within a mixed-use programme of office, retail and residential spaces, preserving cultural continuity while introducing new commercial and workplace environments.

The design connects the four historic buildings through a lightweight structural system in traditional industrial steel beam tones. This framework supports commercial spaces shaped by industrial heritage and local culture, forming a contemporary, three-dimensional reinterpretation of Shanghai’s lilong fabric. The new office and retail buildings reference the district’s Art Deco heritage, translating familiar motifs through modern materials and clean detailing.

Through case studies and cross-disciplinary dialogue, the forum explored how Yangpu Riverside can shift from industrial heritage to revitalised waterfront. Participants noted that waterfronts are among a city’s most valuable resources, and that successful renewal relies on global outlook, policy innovation and cross-sector collaboration.

Benoy’s involvement in the Yangpu Riverside renewal forms part of the district’s ongoing transformation, bringing together international design approaches and local cultural insight.