In the heart of Shanghai, China, the residential district of Hongkou is now home to the brand new Hall of the Sun, one of the city’s largest shopping centres, featuring a spectacular glass roof with blinds in Soltis Perform 92 by Serge Ferrari Group. This recent development is an integral part of the large-scale urban renovation project undertaken by local authorities, which aims to turn the area into a vibrant economic and commercial hub just a stone’s throw from the centre of Shanghai. Locally, the exact same application was used in Johannesburg’s iconic shopping centre, Hyde Park Corner.

An international modern project with a daring design

Eight years of work were necessary to complete the sprawling complex covering 25 hectares, including a commercial centre, two high-rise buildings, and a broad range of retail and office spaces.

By its size and diverse activities, the Hall of the Sun is poised to become a leading destination within the city. Combining a business centre with a shopping centre, the complex was designed as a new reference for architecture, consumption and lifestyle.

Breaking away from straight lines and right angles so habitual in these types of constructions, the Hall of the Sun shows a natural, almost organic curved design. The overall impression is softness and seamless integration into the surrounding urban fabric.

With its surrounding terraces and planted walkways, the building’s façade alternates recesses and protrusions, creating a dynamic look. No effort has been spared to make this project a reference of architecture.

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Reinventing the shopping centre and cooling it down

While designing the project, the architects considered the development of new digital tools and how our changing consumption patterns are transforming the layout of large retail centres. That is why the team decided the building would have to be more than a traditional shopping centre and instead focused on creating a venue merging innovation and technology with sustainability and human experiences.

The Hall of the Sun was designed as a place where people can meet rather than simply as a destination for purchasing goods. Shared spaces and commercial units are planned in such a way as to facilitate interaction between individuals.

As such, the building offers a retail environment that uniquely incorporates all aspects of social life, human connections, movement and culture, delivering an all-new urban, sensory and human experience.

The project incorporates various floors of retail units, outdoor terraces and planted spaces, and a three-storey high atrium carved into the centre of the building and flooded with light pouring down from a gigantic skylight. Hyde Park Corner has a similar skylight above the information desk in a section of its building.

Glass ceilings with Soltis Perform 92 blinds

The project’s most stunning feature is the expansive 5 000-sqm glass ceiling overhead — one of the largest in all of Shanghai. The steel structure supporting it consists of three lotus flower-shaped frames fused together to form an irregular circle more than 80 metres across.

For added comfort, the glass roof has been fitted with blinds cut from Serge Ferrari’s Soltis Perform 92, with an operating system designed to follow the sun’s path. Blocking up to 97% of heat, this membrane effectively helps regulate indoor temperatures and control the amount of light entering the atrium.