Dutch architecture studio MVRDV has completed a remarkable transformation of a former industrial site in Shanghai, creating the Gate M West Bund Dream Center, a vibrant riverside cultural district distinguished by its striking bright orange circulation routes that guide visitors through the repurposed buildings.
Located along the scenic Huangpu River, the project represents a thoughtful approach to adaptive reuse, with MVRDV deliberately choosing to preserve and celebrate the existing concrete silos and former cement factory rather than demolish them. The studio's strategy focused on making these industrial structures the main focal points while honoring the site's manufacturing heritage.
The most distinctive feature of the transformation is the addition of bright orange staircases and elevators attached to the exterior of the industrial buildings. These bold circulation elements serve both functional and aesthetic purposes, creating clear pathways for visitors to navigate through the various cultural venues while adding a contemporary visual identity to the historic structures.
The site presented unique challenges, as it contained not only the original industrial buildings but also several unfinished structures from a previous development proposal that was never completed. MVRDV addressed this by adding neutral-toned facades and green roofs to these incomplete buildings, successfully transforming them into shops, restaurants, and hotels that complement the overall cultural district.
"It was clear from the start that there was a lot of value leftover in the buildings that were already there," explained Jacob van Rijs, co-founder of MVRDV. "We didn't want to demolish things just because it might be simpler, because that means more carbon, more waste."
Van Rijs elaborated on the design challenge: "Our challenge was to bring these pieces together and make them work as a single area, because they were an awkward pairing. We turned the newer buildings into the backdrop, so that the industrial behemoths could be the exclamation points, with exciting functions that capitalize on their special structural features."
The centerpiece of the entire development is the M Factory building, a former cement factory that has been ingeniously repurposed to serve contemporary cultural needs. The ground floor now houses a bustling food market and restaurant, creating a vibrant social hub for visitors. The building's upper floor features a remarkable column-free cultural space that takes full advantage of the factory's original industrial architecture. This flexible venue can accommodate exhibitions, conferences, and performances, with access provided by a unique orange staircase constructed from a repurposed conveyor belt.
Another standout conversion is the transformation of a concrete silo building into an innovative rock climbing center. The facility features orange-clad climbing routes and circulation paths that lead visitors to a first-floor balcony and a rooftop viewing platform offering panoramic views of the surrounding area and waterfront.
The historical context of these buildings adds another layer of significance to the project. Many of the industrial structures in the area were abandoned in preparation for the Shanghai Expo 2010, when businesses were required to relocate to clear the riverside site for the international event. Rather than allowing these buildings to deteriorate further, MVRDV's intervention has given them new life and purpose.
Landscape architecture studio Field Operations contributed to the project by designing thoughtfully planned public spaces in front of the buildings. These areas provide visitors with scenic overlooks of the waterfront and create seamless connections between the various cultural venues within the district.
MVRDV emphasized that the Gate M West Bund Dream Center represents part of a significant global trend toward adaptive reuse of former industrial sites. "Around the world, growing cities are rethinking how industrial structures can be transformed to serve new purposes and become better neighbors as they shift from isolated industrial estates to thriving neighborhoods," the studio noted.
The project is strategically positioned in the southern section of the larger Dream Center development, for which MVRDV also created the master plan. The comprehensive development includes contributions from other internationally renowned architecture firms. Local Shanghai-based studio Atelier Deshaus handled the renovation of existing buildings in the northern portion of the site, while Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen designed two major cultural facilities: the West Bund Dome Art Centre and the Shanghai West Bund Theatre.
This project continues MVRDV's commitment to sustainable architecture through adaptive reuse. The studio has completed several other notable reuse projects recently, including a housing development created within a former World War II military base, a bright yellow office building retrofit, and plans to transform a historic church into a modern swimming facility.
In a recent interview, MVRDV co-founder Nathalie de Vries highlighted how working on adaptive reuse projects enhances the studio's ability to design new buildings, providing valuable insights into structural systems, spatial relationships, and the creative potential of existing architectures.
The Gate M West Bund Dream Center demonstrates how thoughtful architectural intervention can breathe new life into abandoned industrial infrastructure while creating vibrant cultural destinations that serve growing urban populations. The project's success lies in its ability to balance preservation of industrial heritage with contemporary programming needs, all while establishing a distinctive visual identity through the strategic use of color and circulation elements.
The project involved collaboration with several specialist firms, including co-architect AISA, structural engineers Arup and AISA, facade consultants RFR, interior architects CL3 and Xu Studio, and lighting design firm RDI. Photography for the project was provided by Sanqian Visual Image Art, with additional images by Xia Zhi, Liu Guowei, and Tiang Fangfang.
