Can't container the excitement in downtown Shanghai
An innovative design
Shoppers stop for a photo and ice cream.
Eight colorful containers have landed in downtown Shanghai in a new exploration of the idea of the street fair.
The giant rectangle boxes, renovated from old shipping containers, stand on a pedestrian street outside the Jiuguang Department Store in the Jing'an Temple area. They are part of the ongoing Shanghai Design Week.
Based on rusty steel frames, designers have used lightweight materials such as glass and plastic, which are commonly used in today’s home décor, to give these abandoned titans a modern look as well as a new lease of life.
As part of the fair, which officially kicked off over the weekend, people can step in and enjoy diversified experiences, such as making DIY artwork, buying limited editions and enjoying art displays. It is open from 10am to 10pm every day until September 13.
“Street fair is no doubt the buzzword of this year," said He Jiong, deputy director of the design week’s organizing committee office. "But what most people do is just to put up tents and sell snacks, which is kind of cliched and tedious. We want to present something different, something that really tallies with the city’s classy elegance.”
She said the renovated containers themselves are works of art, which add a little rough yet unique industrial style to the urban scenes.
One is designed to be a huge kaleidoscope, in which people can find themselves in a futuristic world due to special light and image effects.
Open for business
A pinewood interior design
“Here, art, retail and technology are perfectly combined to create a stylish community,” He said.
“We don’t put too much attention on retail. What we want is to attract people to come, take photos and enjoy the vibe. It’s what a high-end street should look like.”
Though, what the fair sells is also a highlight.
“All products are making debut in Shanghai because the city has been working to become a place where new products are launched,” He said.
An environmentally friendly concept has also been injected.
Every container is decorated like a house, well insulated, equipped with an air-conditioning and ventilation system. They can be used for 30 years. Later, these containers will be moved to other commercial zones in Shanghai, He said.
From next week, people will be allowed to scan a QR code to donate 1 yuan (14 US cents) each to children from the remote Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. The money will be used to build a container-renovated library and other cultural venues, He said.
