Shanghai Kiss

Competition 1.Place 2004
Function : Entertainment leisure & cultural, retail
GFA : 92,200 sqm
Client : Shanghai Honyear Investment Company

The city of Shanghai, in preparation for the World Expo 2010, wished to construct an iconic visitor attraction on a vacant land parcel on the North Bund, the Puxi side of the Huangpu River. The site commands a city central location with panoramic views of the river, the historic Bund and the Central Business District in Pudong. The design team was invited by the Shanghai North Bund Development office to submit a competition proposal to design a Ferris wheel similar in scale to the Singapore Flyer. Loop conceived and designed an exciting alternative to the Ferris wheel inspired by the romance and passion of Shanghai, named the” Shanghai Kiss”.
The proposal went on to win the competition and was rubber stamped by then Shanghai Mayor Han as one of the “key cultural attractions for the 2010 Expo”. The Kiss similar in height to the Eiffel tower took advantage of its unique rotating arch type structure to provide high level views over the city that are not possible from the structurally restrictive Ferris wheel. The project featured in the exhibition, “Unbuilt China”.