The HKRI Taikoo Hui is a large-scale mixed-used development comprising of a lifestyle shopping complex, two premium Grade A office towers, two boutique hotels and serviced apartments.

This prime complex is located at Nanjing West Road — one of Shanghai’s major shopping thoroughfares — and offers easy access to three lines on the Shanghai Metro. Since its grand opening in 2017, HKRI Taikoo Hui has become a new business, shopping and entertainment hub thanks to its prime location, seamless transport connections and brand positioning.

The total construction area for this project is approximately 468,000 square meters. The shopping mall takes about 100,000 square meters of the total space, while the two office towers — HKRI Center One at 170 meters tall and HKRI Center Two at 250 meters high — occupy about 170,000 square meters. The Sukhothai Shanghai, The Middle House and The Middle House Residences are part of the development and occupy more than 50,000 square meters of the total area. A four-story-deep basement accommodates commercial facilities and 1,200 parking spaces. The complex is connected to Shanghai Metro Line 2, 13 and 12.

AECOM’s multidisciplinary team provided full structural engineering consultancy services and ensured that the project design and construction met strict safety and settlement requirements. This was in conjunction with creating a unique landscape design for the development.

One of the biggest design challenges encountered was constructing high-rise buildings adjacent to proposed city metro stations and existing tunnels. The AECOM team conducted a detailed analysis and simulation of ground movement and building settlement to ensure compliance with the city’s stringent settlement criteria and design standards. A sizable full-time site inspection and supervision team was deployed to work with the client’s construction management team to ensure safety, quality and timeliness in meeting the project objectives and the client’s high expectations.

It is worth mentioning that the historical “Minli Middle School” building — built in the 1920s and used by the school since the 1940s — needed to be moved during construction. In order to protect this historical legacy, the superstructure of the 3,300-ton building was hydraulically jacked up and slid along a pre-laid track that runs across a distance of 57 meters. The building was moved to its current location in 13 days, a monumental achievement in historical building preservation.

To integrate Shanghai’s east-west cultural heritage, the AECOM team took inspiration from traditional Shikumen elements in creating a sustainable landscape design that integrates with the overall architectural style. The ingenious arrangement of trees, flowers, water features and art sculpture has made this a hidden spiritual retreat that promotes a holistic life of work and leisure in the crowded city. In addition, AECOM provided a unique customized landscape design for the two boutique hotels, where a strong classical Chinese style blends with a modern and elegant Thai style, adding an artistic atmosphere to this landmark complex in Shanghai.

Awards

  • LEED platinum certification (HKRI Center One and HKRI Center Two)
  • LEED gold certification (The Middle House and shopping complex))