The Shanghai International Cruise Terminal (SICT), a mixed-use development designed by international architectural firm Sparch, recently won in the Best Mixed-Use Buildings category at the 2011 MIPIM Asia Awards.
“The Shanghai International Cruise Terminal is the collaborative result of Sparch and our client’s desire to create a prestigious environment for cruise companies to place Shanghai on their Southeast Asian routes,” said John Curran, Director of Sparch Shanghai.
“In addition, the mixed-used development meets the Shanghai Authorities’ call for a new maritime gateway in the heart of the metropolis and establishes dynamic spaces attracting locals and tourists to the Cruise Terminal every day.”
This accolade comes on the back of a green building conference hosted last week in Singapore, where Lam Siew Wah, the Deputy CEO (Industry Development) of Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA), said that issues concerning current buildings are not just technical but are also “human and business issues.”
Sparch was chosen to be the master planner for the Cruise Terminal mixed-use project in 2004. With a total floor area of over 260,000 sq m, the project includes 80 percent commercial use and 20 percent public facilities, as well as retail and entertainment outlets.
The SICT offers an eclectic combination of entertainment and business to Shanghai’s residents. The development’s key highlight is a structure known as the “Shanghai Chandelier” — a 40m high glass-clad portal overlooking the waterfront and public park. It houses various “floating” cafés, bars and restaurants suspended on cables in a three-dimensional composition, the first of its kind in the world.
Bearing the signature imprint of Sparch in combining creative design with environmental sustainability, the project also uses “River Water Cooling Technology”, whereby water from the Huangpu River is utilised as a refrigerant to naturally cool the buildings during summer.
Among Sparch’s most recent projects are the redesigning of Paragon City shopping mall in Semarang, Indonesia and Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the award will be given to Sparch at the MIPIM Asia Gala Dinner at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre on 16 November 2011.
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