THE Puxi part of the former 2010 Shanghai World Expo site will fully open to public by the end of the year as a creative and fashion hub, the area's operator said yesterday.
An open block for cultural exchanges, exhibitions, creative industry and entertainment is envisioned in the former Urban Best Practices Area, a Shanghai Expo creation along the Huangpu River.
All the buildings in the 150,200-square-meter area, mostly renovated old factories, will remain and 75 percent of the buildings have been rented to companies and studios from both home and abroad, said Gong Zheng, general manager of the Urban Best Practices Area Commerce Co.
The former Joint Pavilion No. 1, for instance, has become the Asia-Pacific headquarters of the SKF Group, while the Hamburg Pavilion is home to a US consultant firm. The Joint Pavilion No. 2 became the Shanghai Design Center.
The other two joint pavilions in the area will become a shopping center named Conversation between Brands and Arts? for famous fashion brands to display their originality as well as history and culture, said a pavilion official.
The buildings in the north part will be rented to design companies as offices, while the south will be home to art exhibitions, fashion shows and retail, according to the post-Expo development plan.
Two new buildings will be built in the north and south ends to become parking lots for office workers and visitors, Gong said.
"We will ... try to open the whole area to the public by the end of the year," Gong said.
More than 80 exhibitors from cities around the world were showcased in the area's buildings during the Expo.
Bird flu takes toll on poultry industry
Feedback
RSS
