Bureaus Exclusive

Fashionable creative park opens in Shanghai

By Chen Qide (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-11-15 13:51

SHANGHAI - The city has initiated a new creative park at the downtown area of Xuhui district, adding colour to the leisure life of local foreign residents.

The park, entitled Surpass Court, was refurbished from old French-style villas thanks to a successful design by German architects, said Vina Geng, leasing specialist with Shanghai Golden Union Commercial Real Estate Operation and Management Group Ltd.

Yongjia Road lined with tall and straight plane trees, where the court is located, was originally the city's old French concession surrounded with French-style villas and houses, in which many foreigners from France, Italy, Spain, Britain and Germany are living.

The court covers an area of approximately 8,000 square meters with five buildings for restaurants, fashion shops, exotic bars, art galleries, design studios, fashionable boutique home and offices for business.

"It has become the district's casual place for foreigners and white-collar workers to spend their spare time," said Liu Jinlu, deputy director of the Xuhui Commercial Committee.

"It has also set up a successful example for the city to refurbish old houses at downtown areas into fashionable landmarks for business, shopping and entertainment," said Liu.

The Shanghai Golden Union Investment (Group) Co Ltd has spent more than 30 million yuan to refurbish these old houses which used to be the site for the 808 Institute affiliated with the Shanghai Space Technology Academy into a fashionable creative park, he said.

"It is a good location for opening a bar, which provides exotic atmosphere for people to talk about business and spend leisure life," said Tony Blunt, a 33-year-old Spanish Disco Jockey, who is busy with preparing for the opening of his Lola Club.

The club, a fashion bar co-funded by four investors from Spain and Holland, covers an area of about 180 square meters to provide various drinks accompanied by performances at weekend, said Blunt, director of Lola Club Shanghai.

The director, who co-manages the bar together with Xavi Canet, another deejay from Spain, felt satisfied with surroundings with a foreign community nearby.

"I believe business will be OK," he said.

Geng said the court is now fully occupied by about 30 shops to provide food, design, pub, hair salon, dental and eye clinic services.

Golden Union Chairwoman Yu Minjun said her company has launched four projects of the kind in Shanghai, with two in Xuhui district, one in Luwan district and one in Putuo district.

"They have helped enrich the city's leisure life for foreign and white-collar consumers," said Yu.

She said the court, different from other real estate projects, will be managed with new management concepts to create profits for investors and businesses.