UUfie: Ports 1961 Shanghai

Two different types of glass block create the sculpted three-dimensional facade of this flagship store in Shanghai, appearing icy and crispy during the night.

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Located at a major high-end commercial district at the intersection of Changde Road and Nanjing West Road in Shanghai, Ports 1961’s flagship store appears now with a new facade designed by UUfie.

The facade evokes the idea of a landform that resembles an iceberg floating freely in the ocean; the building having a sense of being undulated, expanding and contracting, as if shaped by its environment.

The combinations of two types of glass block create a sculpted three-dimensional facade exhibiting cantilevered structures. By incorporating innovative structural engineering and inventing a new joining system in the block itself, an elaborate ornamental stepping canopy is achieved that naturally angles to the flow of pedestrian and allows for four bow windows to be visible from all directions.

The usage of satin glass block and shot blasted stainless steel material is in great contrast to the chaotic city. During the day, it mutes the surroundings, while subtly reflecting the sunlight. In the evening, the view is icy and crisp, and the surface illuminates with embedded LED lights integrated into the joints of the masonry.

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