Ventilation Tower and Metro Shaft: A Fusion of Infrastructure and Urban Design by Atelier Z+

Located at a key urban intersection in Shanghai, the Ventilation Tower and Ventilation Shaft on Dongfang Road, part of the East-West Passageway and Metro Line 14, stand as a striking example of functional infrastructure seamlessly integrated into the cityscape. Known as the “Wind Tower” Project, this essential facility supports both the road tunnel section of the East-West Passageway and Metro Line 14 in Pudong, highlighting the role of infrastructural architecture in shaping vibrant urban nodes.

Context and Historical Integration

Strategically positioned at the southeast corner of Pudong Avenue and Dongfang Road, the Wind Tower occupies a prominent urban site to the east of Lujiazui CBD. Its location is historically significant: the east side of the tower was once home to Wu Miaosheng’s Residence, a heritage building from 1924, while the south neighbors the Chen’s Residence, a Cultural Relics Protection Site dating back to the 1930s. Through careful urban design studies conducted in 2014 and 2017, Atelier Z+ considered cultural heritage, fragmented land use, street corner open spaces, and community connectivity to ensure the project harmoniously integrates with the historical context and enhances the vitality of the surrounding area.

Architectural Concept and Spatial Organization

The Wind Tower is composed of two distinct structural volumes, north and south, linked by an open crosswalk that connects the street corner, Metro entrance, recessed relaxation spaces, and an adjacent pocket park. On the second and third floors of the pedestal, community spaces have been introduced using volume setbacks along Dongfang Road, fostering small-scale public interaction within the urban environment.

Above the pedestal, the main tower presents a trapezoidal horizontal cross-section, tapering from a wider north end to a narrower south end. This tapering accommodates secondary exhaust shafts and elevators, while the top surface twists subtly into a rectangular form, adding a dynamic curve to the west facade. The resulting spiral effect evokes the rhythm of multi-eaved pagoda structures, with alternating translucent (downward-tilted) and solid (upward-tilted) bands that animate the facade.

Materials and Facade Articulation

The pedestal’s exterior employs fair-faced concrete, providing a modest and durable architectural expression. Aluminum louver shutters frame the wind apertures, while anodized aluminum slit curtain walls accentuate the Metro’s north-facing exhaust shaft. Community space facades feature continuous floor-to-ceiling windows, balancing transparency and functionality. The spiral-shaped main tower facade incorporates a fully integrated curtain wall system, with upward-slanting solid bands and overhanging eaves crafted from ASLOC hollow fiber-reinforced concrete prefabricated panels.

Translucent bands consist of vertically perforated silver-gray aluminum panels with subtle relief folds along the spiral direction, creating a rhythmic visual effect. Internal cavity lighting combined with programmable color changes accentuates the spiral eaves at night, reinforcing the theme of rotation and dynamic movement, and making the tower a distinctive landmark in Pudong’s skyline.

 The Ventilation Tower and Metro Shaft by Atelier Z+ exemplify how industrial infrastructure can transform into an urban landmark, harmonizing engineering functionality with cultural sensitivity, architectural innovation, and community engagement. This project demonstrates a careful balance of technical precision, historical awareness, and aesthetic sophistication, contributing to Shanghai’s evolving cityscape.

All photographs are works of Min Yang