Century Square Renovation by EMBT and TJAD on Shanghai's East Nanjing Road
Benedetta Tagliabue's EMBT, in collaboration with Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd. (TJAD), has completed the renovation of Century Square on Shanghai's East Nanjing Road pedestrian corridor. The 1,200 m² public square, located between People's Square and the Bund, has been reimagined as an ecological, interactive urban space. Historically a venue for performances and events, the square now features a dynamic design that responds to its vibrant context of neon lights and commercial activity. The project, completed in 2026, involved a multidisciplinary team including environmental consultant Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH, color consultant China Academy of Art, and general contractor Shanghai Construction No.2 (Group) Co., Ltd. Key architects include Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT) and Liu Yujie (TJAD), with principal architect Academician Zheng Shiling as lead for TJAD. The client is Shanghai New World (Group) Co., Ltd., with the People's Government of Huangpu District, Shanghai as design competition client.
Key facts
- Century Square renovation completed in 2026
- Located on East Nanjing Road pedestrian corridor in Shanghai
- Project area: 1,200 m²
- Designed by EMBT (Benedetta Tagliabue) and TJAD
- Principal architects: Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT) and Liu Yujie (TJAD)
- Environmental consultant: Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH
- Color consultant: China Academy of Art
- General contractor: Shanghai Construction No.2 (Group) Co., Ltd.
Entities
Artists
- Benedetta Tagliabue
- Liu Yujie
- Zheng Shiling
- Stefan Geenen
- Sebastiano Losi
- Giuseppe d'Ascoli
- Daniel Hernán García
- Gabriele Rotelli
- Maria Faranda
- Juan Camillo Izquierdo
- Lucas Arango
- Malena Bilik
- Youssef Shabo
- Cristian Munteanu
- Lidia Quarintini
- Cristiana Messina
- Gloria Papetti
- Andrea Stevanato
- Erica Hansen
- Pietro Borzacca
- Georgia Soultana
- Darragh Casey
- Zhao Zhuoran
- Yin Hongning
- Lorenzo Trucato
- Guo Xiaoxuan
- Xie Zhenyu
- Kan Ming
- Tu Mengru
- Wang Tingting
- Wei Wei
- Bao Xuefei
- Feng Yi
- Li Yuan
- Guo Bisheng
- Xia Wenli
- Lyu Zhaohua
- Shi Ying
- Lu Jingjie
- Chen Ruihao
- Lin Wen
- Zhang Hong
- Wang Wei
- Gu Huaxiang
- Bai Shuqiang
- Xu Jinjie
- Zhou Shibing
- Zhou Huiying
- Tian Lijun
- Jin Shaokai
- Zhang Lei
- Zhu Weibin
- Wu Jinjian
- Yang Xiu
- Wang Zheng
- Liu Bingyun
- Ren Guohui
- Xue Fanghui
- Shijia Xi
- Han Shuang
- Runzi Zhu
- Songkai Liu
Institutions
- EMBT
- Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.
- Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH
- China Academy of Art
- Shanghai Construction No.2 (Group) Co., Ltd.
- NBK Architectural Terracotta
- FANCY
- Shanghai New World (Group) Co., Ltd.
- People's Government of Huangpu District, Shanghai
- Tongji University Architectural Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd. (TJAD)
Locations
- Shanghai
- China
- East Nanjing Road
- Century Square
- People's Square
- Bund
- Huangpu District
- The Bund