Is the new model of urban renewal any good? Exploring EKA Tianwu in Shanghai

EKA Tianwu is a relatively recent addition to Shanghai’s long list of urban renewal projects. Located on the Pudong bank of the Huangpu River, it was once the site of the Shanghai Navigation Instrument General Factory. When I visited the site this year, it was a bustling community hub populated with restaurants, shops, studios, and exhibition spaces.

Images: the sheer variety of buildings on display at EKA Tianwu makes it unlike any other urban renewal project I have visited (photos by author)

The first thing that strikes me about EKA Tianwu is its eclectic architecture. Developers seemed to have built EKA Tianwu as an architectural theme park. Here, buildings with different styles juxtapose each other. Wherever I looked, EKA Tianwu appeared to be narrating a different story with distinctive forms and textures. The same street accommodated buildings furnished with wood panels, raw concrete, and reflective metal sheets. Whimsical domes, minimalist metal frames, and red-brick chimney stacks popped above the canopy of trees. It was easy to see how this former industrial site was invigorated with the addition of these new structures.

Image: The pool at the heart of EKA Tianwu with the distinctive copper-clad semi-circular exhibition space on the opposite side (photo by author)

Perhaps as a nod to its maritime heritage, water is an important design motif at EKA Tianwu. Entering from Jinqiao Road, I immediately noticed water features lining the narrow passage, tracing out patterns on the stone tiles. A large pool appears in the distance — a set of fountains spout periodically, breaking the tranquil surface. The expansive pool-side plaza is the beating heart of the EKA Tianwu. It radiates with a strong sense of community and an atmosphere of vitality — friends lounging on the outdoor couches of restaurants, families snapping pictures of the copper-clad, semi-circular building on the other side of the pool. I even came across a glass-covered water channel leading out of the pool, snaking into the buildings. While I appreciated this attempt to unify the many components of EKA Tianwu through water, I couldn’t help but feel that there was a missed attempt to make this detail more explicit.

Image: the covered channel running from the central pool — while I could appreciate the vision of this design, I felt it was let down by its execution (photo by author)

This leads me to my biggest critique of EKA Tianwu. While I loved the creative (and daringly expressive) buildings sprinkled around the site, I did not feel a strong sense of how each disparate part fitted into the whole. My experience vaguely resembled visiting a museum and being overwhelmed by its many exhibits. Most of us would agree that museums cannot solely rely on impressive items for show — the best ones craft narratives to weave exhibits under a common theme. This was what I missed at EKA Tianwu: a story communicating a sense of place.

EKA Tianwu is emblematic of a new generation of urban renewal landmarks in many respects. The rise of digital platforms like TikTok and Xiaohongshu has produced a lucrative “influencer” economy, which motivates many of these redevelopment schemes. Developers focus on building “internet-famous” locations that attract influencers and their followers. Given this philosophy, it is unsurprising that urban renewal projects neglect the preservation of historical identities and narratives to prioritize photogenic facades. In the case of EKA Tianwu, one could argue that there was little to draw from its industrial past and that it thrives as a popular destination in the “influencer” economy. While this may be the case, the trend towards “internet-celebrity” landmarks should be reinterrogated. By placing fleeting trends and tropes above all else, we risk violating a key consideration of urban renewal — respecting the identity of the past.