On Sept. 20, 2017 China Urban Regeneration Forum opened grandly. The results of the appraisal for the Top 10 Urban Regeneration Cases initiated by China Urban Regeneration Forum Organizing Committee were announced. By focusing on domestic benchmark urban regeneration projects, the appraisal triggers thoughts about new business models of urban regeneration. At the forum, the Top 10 Building Rebirth Cases for Urban Regeneration were announced. DoBe WE” International Hub @ The Bund was among them. DoBe WE” International Hub @ The Bund is the first and most representative work in China under the brand name WE” of DoBe Group, a leading service supplier in China dedicated to cultural, creative, sci-tech, innovative enterprises’ development and urban regeneration. It was born conforming to the trend of the times and gave the building a new life.
As China’s only summit on the commercial cases and business models of urban regeneration, this appraisal and demonstration of cases provided urban regeneration explorers with valuable benchmarks and examples, had substantial significance to China’s urban regeneration and building economy. On Sept. 6, China’s first online appraisal of urban regeneration cases cosponsored by China Urban Regeneration Forum and NetEase formally started. This appraisal adopted voluntary application, council nomination, online voting, expert review to appraise all kinds of projects across China in an all-round way. As one of China Urban Regeneration Forum’s council members, DoBe Group recommended DoBe WE” International Hub @ The Bund for the appraisal.
After the first round of examination by experts, 120 projects and organizations entered the candidate list for online voting. This appraisal was divided into 6 categories: Top 10 District Reconstruction Cases for Urban Regeneration, Top 10 Building Rebirth Cases for Urban Regeneration, Top 10 Capital Operators for Urban Regeneration, Top 10 Transformed Real Estate Developers for Urban Regeneration, Top 10 Institutional Investors for Urban Regeneration, Top 10 Technological Enablers for Urban Regeneration. After days of fierce competition, DoBe WE” International Hub @ The Bund stood out depending on its high online popularity and the expert jury’s recognition, became a Top 10 Building Rebirth Case for Urban Regeneration.
DoBe WE” International Hub @ The Bund is an architectural inheritance. It records the Bund’s memories in past financial eras. It formerly was China’s first stock exchange in history——Shanghai Chinese Merchants Stock Exchange was. Du Yuesheng, a legendary figure in Shanghai, was its Board Chairman. Using his influences in political and economic circles, he helped Chinese Merchants Stock Exchange become the largest stock exchange in the Far East. It influenced the economy of the whole China and even East Asia, and witnessed Shanghai’s vicissitude. History has put a strong humanistic color on the building. In 2015, DoBe, hand in hand with Expo Milano’s Chief Designer and famous Italian architect Mr. Stefano Boeri, gave the building a new life. The building’s hall will be completely open. Customized glass pillars perfectly connect with the atrium’s surrounding spaces, creating a almost “pure” effect for the entire building. After renovation, the atrium has an infinite horizon, becomes a public space for music concerts and speeches, etc., making the place provide unprecedented urban experience with a tolerant and open attitude like a belvedere in the center of the city. The integration of ancient and modern elements, the collision between fashion and old style create a different flavor.
WE” stands for West &East, represents co-creation between the East and the West. In hardware service and software service, DoBe WE” integrates the strong points of both sides and goes well beyond international standards. It has attracted a group of outstanding overseas and domestic cultural, creative, sci-tech and innovative enterprises. From the close geographic distance to participating in community activities together, from space to people, the park’s enterprises are connected and co-create for better development and growth in the smart circle created by DoBe. WE” has brought a new work style for enterprises and individuals. In terms of space, barriers in the physical space are broken, creating more shared space for the park’s enterprises; in terms of design, the building is injected with new vitality by introducing sunshine, water and vertical forest; in terms of service, WE” provides more enterprise services apart from hardware. As a service supplier dedicated to cultural, creative, sci-tech, innovative enterprises, through its urban office scenario practice, DoBe Group produces rich and cutting-edge cases for China’s urban regeneration.
As a new growth point of urbanization in China, urban regeneration has become a proposition with sustained influence. Urban regeneration not only means the renovation of buildings and hardware facilities, but also means the continuity and regeneration of all kinds of soft environments, such as the ecological environment, cultural environment, industrial structure, functional business form, social psychology. Its connotation has already gone beyond the scope of industry, architecture, planning, gradually penetrated into finance, investment, science and technology, innovation, culture, environment, economy, people's livelihood and many other fields. This is what WE” is doing, not only to promote new work styles, but also to innovate in space, design and service, support China’s creative industries and contribute to urban regeneration.
Award presentation to the Top 10 Building Rebirth Cases for Urban Regeneration