Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior PhotographySchindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography, BrickSchindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography, BrickSchindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior PhotographySchindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - More Images+ 12

  • Partners In Charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu
  • Senior Associate In Charge: Nellie Yang
  • Associate : Lina Lee
  • Design Team: Begona Sebastian, Herman Mao, Jinlin Zheng, Davide Signorato, Evan Chen, Kelvin Huang
  • The Client: Schindler Group
  • City: Shanghai
  • Country: China
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Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography
© Annika Feuss

Text description provided by the architects. Neri&Hu envisions a 32,400sqm headquarters for leading elevator manufacturer Schindler, as part of a new corporate master plan including offices, showrooms, factories, warehouses, and research facility. Situated in the developing industrial area of Jiading, just outside of Shanghai’s city center, Neri&Hu sought to overcome the sense of isolation and vastness that characterizes industrial facilities by emphasizing the integration of human-scale landscape elements and public spaces throughout the project.

Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography
© Annika Feuss
Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography, Brick
© Annika Feuss

The resulting architectural proposal is two-part, a continuous base at ground level and floating lightboxes above. Challenging the typical office block typology of individual buildings loosely bound by greenery or paths, the architecture absorbs these elements into a unified podium that not only inextricably ties architecture to the landscape but makes seamless connections between all the various programs. These functions include shared amenities such as a 600 pax capacity canteen, an auditorium seating 200, several lounges and cafes, over 7,000sqm of occupiable gardens, and a 300m long passageway featuring Schindler’s own moving walks to link it all together.

Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography
© Annika Feuss
Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Image 15 of 17
Sketch by Lyndon Neri (2)
Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Annika Feuss

At the north-east end of the site, the base podium rises and grows in height to form the Research & Development facility. This fortress-like enclosure, with its shifting volumes, is dynamic yet solid, representing the innovative if not private nature of the work conducted here. At the opposing end of the podium, within three glass boxes, 800 employees occupy office spaces on four levels above, including meeting rooms, lounges, archives, a showroom, and a training center. Each of the three buildings features a multi-story atrium that encourages visual and physical interactions between the different departments on each floor.

Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Dirk Weiblen
Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Image 17 of 17
Sketch by Lyndon Neri (4)
Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography, Facade, Concrete
© Dirk Weiblen

The two architectural elements that comprise the project are not only functionally unique but expressed in vastly different material palettes. Aligned with the client’s mission to engage with local cultures, the podium featuring gray brick, common building material in China, is a nod towards the material heritage of the project’s locale. For the glass boxes above, translucent channel glass sections, interspersed with white metal-framed window slots, compose a building façade that is bright, minimal, and elegant – a subtle reference to the company’s Swiss background. The resulting design is both firmly grounded in local cultures and building traditions while celebrating the innovative and forward-thinking corporate culture of Schindler.

Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office - Exterior Photography, Brick
© Dirk Weiblen

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Project location

Address:Jiading District, Shanghai, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Schindler City Headquarters / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office" 19 Mar 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/958713/schindler-city-neri-and-hu-design-and-research-office> ISSN 0719-8884

© Annika Feuss

迅达城 / 如恩设计研究室

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