Evoking a series of architectural trees one might find in the forests of Shanghai, the biophilic Solars Tree Marketplace found in Shanghai’s Minhang district aims to aid the famously polluted city become a healthier urban environment. According to ArchDaily, Australian firm Koichi Takada Architects took on the project, which is one of many that will be needed to achieve China’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2060.
“We want to humanize buildings in the district, to be more engaging to the public and contribute to the regeneration of communities and their neighborhoods,” says founder Koichi Takada.
Referencing the traditional Chinese marketplace, the design will include modular stalls amid natural ventilation and solar panels. The biophilic elements complement the green spine that rises through the residential masterplan that the new market is a piece of, leading up to a timber canopy that partially covers shoppers, as if walking through the woods. All trees and shrubs will be native to Shnaghai, doubling as a park amid the shopping center.
Koichi Takada Architects has been behind a number of other sustainably focused designs across the globe, including the Sky Trees in Downtown Los Angeles and Brisbane’s Urban Forest. The Solars Tree Marketplace is currently under construction, with an anticipated debut in 2022.