Tank Shanghai on the Huangpu River, China Exhibition Building Project, Chinese Architecture Images
Tank Shanghai on the Huangpu River
2 Apr 2020
Tank Shanghai
Architectural and Interior Design: OPEN Architecture
Location: Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

photo © INSAW Image
Along the banks of Shanghai’s Huangpu River, five decommissioned aviation fuel tanks once stood abandoned on an empty industrial site. Today, these tanks and the surrounding site?forgotten relics of the city’s former Longhua Airport?have been given new life and relevancy by OPEN Architecture. Over the course of six years, the five tanks were converted from waste containers to a vibrant contemporary art center, with galleries and other public spaces housed within the tanks themselves. One of the world?s rare examples of the adaptive re-use of aviation fuel tanks, Tank Shanghai has attracted millions of visitors since its opening in March 2019 and has solidified its place in the city?s contemporary art scene.
photo © INSAW Image
Conceived of as both an art museum and an open park, Tank Shanghai sets itself apart as a sanctuary for both people and nature. Open, accessible, and seamlessly integrated with the surrounding landscape, the project not only pays tribute to the site?s industrial past, but also seeks to dissolve conventional ideas of site limitations and demarcations.

photo © WU Qingshan
Tank Shanghai?s design purposefully rejects the idea of a bordered site. Long, slo...