Bird Water Tower: FLIP Studio's Bold Revival of Industrial Heritage and Art at Shanghai's M50 Creative Park

Located in the northwest corner of Shanghai's M50 Creative Park, a hub for contemporary art and design, the Bird Water Tower is a captivating blend of the old and the new. Standing next to Heatherwick Studio's famous 1000 Trees, this historic water tower has existed for over fifty years. Previously owned by the well-known artist and curator Bing Su, the tower was unused for many years until FLIP Studio converted it into a vibrant venue for modern art and social gatherings.

"The renovation of the Bird Water Tower offers an exploration of temporal layers. Visitors can physically and metaphorically navigate through Shanghai's industrial past while being immersed in modern artistic expression. FLIP Studio's design approach embraces the structure's worn and weathered character while introducing a new architectural language that engages with the old."

Outdoor Experience: A Gateway Between Eras

The journey starts in the outdoor area, where FLIP Studio has skillfully incorporated a network of platforms, bridges, and stairways to create an architectural promenade leading to the tower. These new pathways are marked by black-rusted steel handrails and balustrades, clearly distinguishing between old and new while maintaining a respectful enclosure. These changes serve as connectors and indicate the visitor's transition into a redefined space where history meets innovation.

Dual Interiors: Raw Elegance Meets Refined Modernity

The interior of the Bird Water Tower has been divided into two distinct spaces: one square and the other rectangular, each offering a unique spatial experience. A narrow outdoor terrace acts as a slender seam, joining the two spaces while providing a brief breath of fresh air between the roughness of the past and the precision of contemporary design.

FLIP Studio chose to reveal the structure's raw, industrial character in the square hall. Exposed dark gray cement walls bear the scars of time, with traces of demolished interior partitions intentionally left visible. A boldly inserted black-painted OSB coffee bar creates a monolithic "black box" that contrasts sharply with the gritty backdrop. The pink neon lighting adds a surreal, almost cinematic atmosphere, blurring the lines between the industrial heritage and the contemporary art world.

The rectangular hall contrasts with subtler gestures. A white box has been carefully placed in this space, covering two-thirds of the height and leaving the original ceiling exposed. The contrast between new and old is more noticeable in this room, especially where the white box meets the existing brick walls, terrazzo cladding, and exposed structural elements. These layers are revealed like an "architectural anatomy," a concept that aims to showcase the building's structural elements and materials, reminiscent of Gordon Matta-Clark's work, where cut walls and raw materials evoke a dialogue between past and present.

Art and Space: A Curatorial Journey

Art plays a crucial role in guiding visitors through the tower. Strategic placement of installations, graffiti, paintings, and video art punctuate the spatial experience. Key pieces act as navigational markers along the circulation path. An example of this is the untouched wall along the newly inserted staircase, where a live graffiti performance brought the raw energy of street art into the space during the pre-opening phase.

A polished metal plate suspended at the tower's base adds another dimension to the curation. This surface is a canvas for projected digital art, creating a fluid, ever-changing dialogue between physical architecture and ephemeral media.

A Beacon of Light and Art

The Bird Water Tower becomes a glowing beacon in the quiet M50 Creative Park at night. It is adorned with vibrant neon lights and dynamic projections, making it a lighthouse from another dimension. The interplay of light, shadow, and art creates an inviting space where time feels suspended, and the boundaries between past and future dissolve.

The revival of the Bird Water Tower is a testament to Shanghai's industrial heritage and an experiment in the intersection of architecture, art, and urban regeneration. FLIP Studio's sensitive yet inventive intervention has transformed this once-abandoned space into a landmark of creative expression that encourages exploration, contemplation, and conversation.

Project Name：M50 Bird Water Tower

Project Location：Shanghai, China

Lead Designer: Kailun Sun

Area：230㎡

Design Team：Zixuan Chen

Photo：Fangfang Tian

Completion：2023.08

For more information, please visit: www.flip-studio.com

*This project is one of the shortlisted project in the Sky Design Awards 2024 - Architecture Division