Located along Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek, Suhewan MixC World seamlessly blends contemporary architecture with the area’s rich heritage.

The complex features a 200m tall office tower, an underground shopping mall, and a car park beneath a public green park. It also includes the restoration of Shenyu Lane, one of the city’s best-preserved shikumen (stone-gate) neighborhoods, now repurposed for art exhibitions, retail and fine dining.  

Arup provided structural engineering services for the complex. Working closely with architects and MEP consultants, we developed tailored structural solutions to address a range of challenges such as height limitations, torsional effects from asymmetrical floor plans, and partially eccentric beam-column joints. 

This new landmark has transformed the Suhewan area, enhancing its commercial value while preserving the urban texture and historical charm. It provides a dynamic destination for people to gather, explore and appreciate the evolving urban space, contributing to both spatial and cultural upgrades of the area. 

Maximising views and space in the office tower 

The office tower features a unique H-shape in plan to increase office space facing the scenic riverside and the Bund. To reduce the torsional effect of seismic loads, we worked closely with architects to optimise the core layout, and designed the steel beams, reinforced concrete filled steel tube (RCFT) column frame and a reinforced concrete (RC) core. This not only addresses the torsional effect but also enhances the overall structural efficiency.

We also strategically converted the staircases and lift shafts into structural walls, without altering the functional layout. The positioning and thickness of these walls were fine-tuned to optimise structural stiffness. 

To create expansive ‘column-free’ office spaces, all columns were pushed towards the floor edge, resulting in an offset of the beam-column connections. We conducted detailed finite element analysis of these connections to ensure proper force transition. The structural elements were seamlessly integrated with the architectural design to provide fins and shadings. 

External photo of the office H-shape design
The office tower features a unique H-shape in plan to increase office space facing the scenic riverside and the Bund.
Internal view of column free office space
To create expansive ‘column-free’ office spaces, all columns were pushed towards the floor edge, resulting in an offset of the beam-column connections.

Sustainable restoration of Shenyu Lane 

The restoration of Shenyu Lane focused on adapting the space for modern use while preserving the charm of Shikumen buildings. This has been achieved by retaining the original façades or reconstructing them with bricks reused from demolished buildings. The internal structure was strengthened with a new RC frame to meet the functional requirements of retail and dining venues. The size and grid of the frame were carefully adjusted to fit the original Shikumen building. The restoration significantly reduced the project’s embodied carbon footprint, making it a more sustainable alternative to new construction. 

Image showing the restoration of Shenyu Lane
The restoration of Shenyu Lane focused on adapting the space for modern use while preserving the charm of Shikumen buildings.
Partners & collaborators

Architect: Foster + Partners (Office Tower), Kokaistudios (Retail area) / Main contractor: Shanghai Construction No.1 (Group) Co., Ltd. / Shanghai Construction No.5 (Group) Co., Ltd.