Winning designs to spruce up neglected spaces

THE city’s urban planning authority has selected three winners in a design competition aimed at renovating neglected spaces beneath elevated roads, bridges and Metro stations.

The designs were chosen for their creativity, beauty and functionality, the Shanghai Planning, Land and Resources Administration said. The winners are local design groups Saturday&Sunday, Xinhui Landscape Design Company and WorkshopXZ.

The designs will be applied to renovating areas beneath bridges over the Suzhou Creek, the space under Metro lines 3 and 4 near Zhongshan Park, and an area below the Yan’an Road Elevated Highway in Hongqiao District, according to the administration.

Spaces beneath bridges on Weining, Gubei, Kaixuan roads and Zhongshan Road W. in Changning District will be painted orange, red, green and yellow to create a fruit-candyinspired color scheme, its designer said. Art and sports facilities are also designed to enliven the areas.

An area under Yan’an Road Highway is set to become a space for sports, dining and exhibitions. The winning design for this area aims to attract commuters and local residents to a space where few now linger.

In the winning blueprint for the Kaixuan Road section under Metro lines 3 and 4 includes a specialized shared bike parking area. A jogging path and restaurants have also been planned.

An existing structure beneath the elevated line will be converted into a break room for cleaners as well, according to the design.

Downtown Shanghai has about 300 kilometers of elevated roads. Some spaces under these roads are used for parking or storage, but many are dirty and neglected, the administration said.

“It is essential to revitalize these spaces, and create vital, quality public areas for the city,” the administration said.

The contest was part of the planning body’s “micro-revamping” campaign, which focuses on subtle, low-key renovations.