Heatherwick Studio's 1000 Trees Complex Rises in Shanghai

Heatherwick Studio, led by architect Thomas Heatherwick, is developing a large mixed-use complex in Shanghai called 1000 Trees, funded by Tian An China Investments Company Limited. Located near the M50 art district, the project is designed as a piece of topography resembling two mountains covered with trees, featuring about a thousand structural elements. It joins the trend of vegetal architecture seen in projects like Liuzhou Forest City by Stefano Boeri Architetti and Rosewood Tower in São Paulo by Ateliers Jean Nouvel. Recently, Heatherwick Studio completed a new theater in Shanghai in partnership with Foster + Partners, characterized by a sinuous bronze tube cladding. Meanwhile, the studio's Garden Bridge in London was canceled after prolonged financial issues. Heatherwick is also working on the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Vessel in New York City.