Historical Yangshupu Power Plant in urban space art season spotlight
Solar energy panels are installed on the rooftop of the Yangshupu Power Plant's ash storage tanks.
Over a dozen art installations will adorn the surroundings of Shanghai's over century-old Yangshupu Power Plant as part of the Yangpu exhibition during the city's biannual Urban Space Art Season.
The relics park around the power plant, once the biggest thermal power plant in East Asia and Shanghai's tallest structure, will host the exhibition themed "Mutual Nourishment," which will open to the public on Tuesday and run through November 18.
The exhibition aims to showcase the harmonious coexistence of people, society and nature in urban spaces, emphasizing Yangpu District's commitment to ecological preservation and green, low-carbon development.
It embodies the low-carbon concept of urban space transformation. The former high-carbon emitting thermal power plant has now become an ecological and artistic riverside landmark.
With the theme of "low-carbon future," the exhibition in the park is showcasing more than 10 art installations from domestic and international artists to unearth the site's unique value.
The Ash Bucket Art Space
Inside the Ash Bucket Art Space, transformed from the power plant's ash storage tanks, themed exhibitions will showcase low-carbon technology, presenting the concept of sustainable development.
Visitors can follow a tour route that links various art exhibition points, along with clues related to the protection of industrial heritage relics.
The "Mirror of Coexistence," created by Tongji University, is placed under the pump core lighthouse, a preserved industrial relic. It is made of mirror-finished stainless steel, creating a transparent small space where nature, historical textures and passing pedestrians briefly coexist.
The "Yangpu Low-Carbon Practice Cases Exhibition" is inside the western silo of the Ash Bucket Art Space. It integrates outstanding cases of green and low-carbon construction in the downtown district in recent years.
The exhibition design takes advantage of the silo's spiral staircases, casting a "green shade" in the atrium, while allowing visitors to read as they ascend.
The exhibition design takes advantage of the silo's spiral staircases, casting a "green shade" in the atrium, while allowing visitors to read as they ascend.
The "Photovoltaic Rooftop," jointly created by State Grid and the university, is installed on the rooftops of three silos in the art space, consisting of 120 pieces of high-efficiency solar energy modules. The installation provides electricity to a nearby coffee shop renovated from the former water purification pool of the power plant.
The Yangpu waterfront is known as the birthplace of China's modern industries with the nation's first water, electricity, shipbuilding and textile companies located here. Many of the industrial buildings, such as the iconic power plant, have been preserved during redevelopment of the riverside area.
The other section of Yangpu's art season exhibitions will be held inside the waterfront region of Gongqing Forest Park.
That section emphasizes ecological creation and the integration of riverside public spaces with a forest backdrop. It will also serve as an education platform, providing a place for parent-child education activities, fostering the younger generation's awareness of environmental protection and sustainable development, according to the district government.
The "Photovoltaic Rooftop," jointly created by State Grid and the university, is installed on the rooftops of three silos in the art space.
If you go:
Yangpu Exhibition for the 2023 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season
Theme: Mutual Nourishment
Date: Through November 18
Admission: Free
Site 1: Yangshupu Power Plant Relics Park
Address: 2 Tengyue Road
Opening hours: 10am-8pm during weekends and holidays, 2pm-8pm on workdays (except Monday)
Site 2: Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park waterfront
Address: Nenjiang and Jungong roads near Huangpu River waterfront
The exhibition aims to showcase the harmonious coexistence of people, society and nature in urban spaces.
The exhibition themed "Mutual Nourishment," which will open to the public on Tuesday and run through November 18.
An exhibition themed "low-carbon future" will be held inside the silos of the renovated ash buckets.
