Dazhongli Historical Building Relocation Project Completes. Preserving Cultural Heritage while Creating Value for Community

The relocation of the historical building on Shanghai’s Dazhongli site, which is jointly developed by Swire Properties Limited (“Swire Properties”) and HKR International Limited (“HKRI”), has successfully completed in March 2010.

Preparation for the relocation took eight months to complete, which included thorough examination and testing and structural strengthening. The historical building had to be cut off from the existing foundation and connected to a temporary base. On 26 January 2010, the around 3,300 tonne building glued to the base was pushed by hydraulic jacks towards its new position at the Southern end of the site near Weihai Road along the paved tracks at a speed of two centimeters per minute. The moving of the building over a distance of 57 metres took two weeks and the building reached its final position on 7 February where it was fixed onto a new foundation and was monitored and tested for structural safety. The whole process completed at the end of March. Fitting out will be carried out in the next stage to restore the original appearance while giving the building its new glory.

The relocation was conducted after thorough research and technical consultation with experts, taken into consideration the overall planning of the Dazhongli project. The new position will give the building better exposure and will become an icon of the Dazhongli complex.

The relocation of the historical building challenged the developers not only on technical feasibility, design, planning and project management but also on the consideration of Shanghai’s unique history and culture. Conserving this outstanding historical building is a perfect illustration of two shareholders’ efforts in preserving cultural heritage while creating value for a community. The successful completion of the relocation project demonstrated the joint venture partners’ strong capacity in releasing the city’s value while preserving its unique features.

Background of the Building

The historical building was built in the 1920s by two brothers Qiu Xinshan and Qiu Weiqing, who were paint tycoons at that time. The Qius residence originally comprised two blocks. One was demolished for the reconstruction of Minli Middle School in the 1990s, while the building now being relocated was used as the office building of the middle school. The building witnessed almost a century’s development of the city and was identified as an outstanding historical building in 1999.

The relocation of the historical building is the first task to be conducted on the Dazhongli site. Centrally located on Nanjing West Road, the Dazhongli project is bounded on the north by Nanjing West Road, on the west by Shimenyi Road (across the Four Seasons Hotel), on the south by Weihai Road, and on the east by Qinghai Road (across the Shanghai TV Building). The site, of approximately 63,000 square metres, will be developed into a significant and balanced mixed-use project comprising a retail centre, offices and hotels. The complex will be a highlight of the Jing’an vision to become a modern service industry hub.

The project occupies a prime location which connects seamlessly with Metro Line 13 under the construction. Metro Lines 2, 13 and 12 will converge at an interchange to be built close to the site, providing the Dazhongli development with superb connectivity. With the excellent transportation infrastructure in Jing’an district, the Dazhongli project will become the new landmark on Nanjing West Road, the international business hub of Shanghai.