Star Harbor International Center to Open

By Qi Chuanbin

Standing at the Tilanqiao Station of Metro Line 12, we can greet our eyes with the Chinese-tripod-shaped Star Harbor International Center (SHIC). Located in the core of the North Bund, the Shanghai’s tallest Gemini towers will be built into the commercial landmark for Raffles City, which is expected to open in the second half of this year in stages.

Consisting of two 263-meter main buildings, commercial annexes and six-storey basement, the SHIC boasts a total floor area of about 450,000 square meters. Located at the interface of the Metro Line 12, Line 19 (under the planning), and the 4,000-square-meter bus hub terminus, the entire project has produced an urban transportation hub that integrates metro, public transport and sky-way system to realize seamless connection among a variety of public transport.

Due to the great building height, large size and the glass exterior facades, the light pollution will be a serious problem if the SHIC needs to brightened, which needs to be solved during its construction. The SHIC is an important part of the North Bund skyline, so we should guarantee its characteristics while cause no impact on the surrounding residential areas or office and business buildings. And the solution is that we apply special materials for most of the exterior facade, with the reflectivity of less than 7%, which greatly reduces the light reflection pollution to the surrounding environment, according to Zhang Yimin, Project Manager of SHIC, who is in charge of the project construction.

Different from the ordinary super high-rise buildings, the SHIC enables people to have a breath of the air at the upper layer. The floor of its each storey near the glass exterior facade and the entire facade are equipped with ventilator systems to achieve the natural ventilation. In addition, the two main buildings have rooftop gardens which are open all the time and cover an area of about 17,500 square meters. It is the largest rooftop garden in the district, in which the citizens and visitors can take a full view of the Golden Triangle.

With the completion and use of high-end commercial buildings such as Shanghai Landmark Center and Magnolia Plaza, arrays of topnotch enterprises have started their businesses here in recent years, most of which are headquarters and leading enterprises in the sector. The agglomeration effect of high-end buildings in the North Bund has been basically formed, and the high-end commercial buildings in the North Bund will continue to emerge. As the key development plate in the 13th Five-year Plan of Shanghai, the North Bund shipping finance CBD will form a situation of tripartite confrontation with the Bund and Lujiazui, to help the district’s office and business building economy to rise to a new stage.