Hines has become one of the few international real estate firms to achieve long-term success in Greater China. For over 25 years, Hines’ boots-on-the-ground business model continues to differentiate and fortify its presence in Greater China, enabling the acquisition, development, re-development, and management of a number of top-level office, residential, and mixed-use projects.

The successful development of One Museum Place, owned by a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), is a perfect example of how Hines leverages its experience with complex real estate projects, collaboration with governmental agencies, and a deep understanding of clients’ business objectives and needs to deliver projects of the highest caliber.

One Museum Place, a 1.4 million-square-foot, 60-story prime office tower with its six-story retail pavilion was acquired while its foundation was under construction by the district government and was planned as a mixed-use tower (office, hotel and apartment). Hines coordinated intensively with the government to change the design to all office with a revised floorplate, which also necessitated a major change to the tower’s structural design and the foundation already in place. Despite numerous constraints, Hines succeeded in creating a best-in-market floorplate office tower and retail podium which enhances Shanghai’s Jing’an District and meets the highest global design standards.

“My grandfather founded his namesake firm in 1957 with a commitment to create better cities with quality investments in real estate that focus on innovation, sustainability and superior materials,” said Laura Hines-Pierce, senior managing director, office of the CEO. “One Museum Place embodies that philosophy. The tower is distinctive in the Shanghai market and has established new benchmark standards for Class A office buildings in the city. We are proud to have created this iconic addition to the Jing’an neighborhood and the skyline.”

Assembling the Right Team

The project site offered a prime location in Shanghai’s highly desirable Jing’an District of the Nanjing West Road CBD. Hines recognized the potential to deliver a higher value asset by re-envisioning the overall design and office plan. This was no small feat and required the drastic revision of the office floorplate as well as significant modifications to the tower’s structural design and preexisting foundation.

Faced with a complex project and significant schedule constraints, Hines sprang into action and assembled an A-list team of project consultants to turn vision into reality in record time. Design architect Gensler and Hines’ Conceptual Construction group redesigned the building’s structure and architecture and modified the existing substructure to accommodate the redesigned office tower, pavilion and below-grade parking. Thornton Tomasetti provided the structural engineering for the highly complex structural modifications and Tongji Architectural Design Institute served as the architect and engineer of record. In addition, BEE Incorporated worked with Hines’ on-site property engineering team to achieve the highest level of green building certification possible. Through swift coordination and implementation, Hines and the team accomplished the seemingly impossible — one of the city’s first LEED Platinum-certified office towers within the original project schedule.

A World-Class Gathering Place

Since it opened in 2019, One Museum Place has been supporting a vibrant commercial community by providing a world-class gathering place to conduct business, enjoy numerous lifestyle attractions, and recreation. The project’s aesthetics mesh seamlessly with its natural and cultural surroundings: the Shanghai Natural History Museum, the iconic 16-acre Jing’an Sculpture Park and the adjoining historic preservation district. The tower has attracted a host of Fortune 500 and top Chinese companies from finance, professional services, pharmaceuticals, and technology.

• The Office Tower
  The main lobby features modern and efficient architecture paired with classic materials including Italian travertine and marble, stainless steel and glass. Floor-to-ceiling glass throughout the office tower brings natural light deep into tenant spaces and highlights the unobstructed views.

• Open, Efficient Floor Plates
  Rectangular floor plates offer an efficient geometry for space planning and office functionality. Column-free corners paired with the floor-to ceiling glass allow for more corner offices and unobstructed views.
  

• Focus on Sustainability
  With a growing focus on healthy and sustainable projects amongst tenants, One Museum Place’s LEED® Platinum certification and environmental technology stands out in the Shanghai tenant market.
  
  Extensive landscaped plazas, indoor and outdoor water walls, roof terraces, integrated community seating, widespread public spaces, spacious interiors and broad outdoor terraces that overlook the park’s open green spaces, plantings, fountains and artwork create a dialogue between the project and rich urban fabric including views of Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek.
  
  The project is a trailblazer in Shanghai’s green development achieving LEED Platinum pre-certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Core & Shell rating system and it became one of the city’s first LEED Platinum-certified office towers in 2019.

• An Award-Winning Indoor Environment
  A large component of LEED Platinum certification addresses indoor air quality and sets standards difficult to attain in Shanghai’s climate, where the building is in cooling mode for most of the year. The building’s high-performance façade, basement ice storage system, and state-of-the-art, continuous indoor air quality monitoring and management system address this challenge. One Museum Place is the first commercial project to receive RESET™ Air pre-certification status and the air inside is among the best in China.

• Direct Access
  The project’s thoughtful combination of vertical and horizontal circulation systems offers tenants and visitors easy access to the integrated Metro station, parking, plazas, pavilion, office tower, retail and dining, and additional amenities.
  
• Public Art Program
  The public art program is a proud feature of One Museum Place and highlights Hines’ ongoing commitment to enhancing the local community. The project’s proximity to cultural institutions and beautiful public spaces make it the perfect site to celebrate public art. Many of China’s leading artists were invited to participate in creating a world-class gallery that rambles throughout the project and creates a dialogue between the building and its environs.
  
  Ding Yi, a celebrated contemporary artist who has built a unique visual symbol with his series “Appearance of Crosses”, designed the grand entrance façades of the Lifestyle Pavilion.
  
  “Artificial Rock No. 157” by the highly regarded contemporary artist Zhan Wang, graces the “Water Wall Gallery” of the building.
  
  The north tower lobby is home to a major textural painting by Zheng Chongbin.
  
  Works by Zheng Lu, whose renowned work uses a variety of natural metals expressed through the same geometric shape, adorn the other towers.

Setting the Standard in Shanghai

One Museum Place was awarded Best Green Development in Asia (Silver) at MIPIM’s Asia Awards in November 2019.

For more information, visit onemuseumplace.cn