Fotografiska Shanghai invites us to 'a poetic immersion' into the realm of photography
Fotografiska Shanghai by AIM Architecture opens nestled into a green corner of the Chinese city's Suzhou Creek

Fotografiska Shanghai sits nestled into a green corner of the Chinese city's Suzhou Creek. Designed by AIM Architecture, the building shows off its layers of history, transformed from a former bank warehouse to a hub of art and culture for Shanghai residents and beyond. The structure, which brings together old and new, blending period patina and 21st-century styles and needs, in a building that was designed not as a conventional cultural space, but as 'a poetic immersion into the realm of visual narratives, woven through the lens of photography,' the architects explain.
Fotografiska Shanghai by AIM Architecture
The AIM Architecture team sought to restore and reimagine the previously neglected building in a considerate way. Its original structure was kept and cleaned up, revealing its bare bones. Original brickwork, concrete beams, and industrial details were unveiled and reused, creating a rich, multi-layered environment.
Beyond the project's flexible and generous exhibition areas and gallery halls, the new Fotografiska Shanghai also features a wealth of options to socialise and relax. The on-site restaurant, bar, retail space, and ice cream shop blend old and new features and offer culture lovers the opportunity to take a break, sit and discuss.
Two original, grand staircases in bare, textured concrete form the complex's main circulation cores. Their dual role means they are 'not only serving as navigational elements but also creating a dynamic light experience through movement leading guests from one display to another,' the architects write.
The top floor exemplifies the open and surprising nature of this multi-functional cultural hub. The highest level contains an open rooftop garden that combines open air and enclosed areas, including a bar, a cosy lounge, an exclusive VIP room, and a terrace with panoramic views of the Shanghai cityscape.
More opportunities to visit the building lay in its rich programme of activities. The architects add: 'Fotografiska Shanghai is not just a museum, it’s a cultural hub. Beyond exhibitions, it will host workshops, lectures, and events, fostering a community of artists, enthusiasts, and curious minds who share a passion for photography.'
The recently completed Fotografiska Shanghai by AIM Architecture is now open to visitors.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
What is the future for design in Africa? Designer Hicham Lahlou shares possibilities for the continent at large
The Moroccan designer celebrates 30 years of his practice. Here he speaks from his studio in Rabat about his own career and the creative possibilities for design in Morocco and the rest of Africa
-
Philadelphia’s 'Grande Dame' reopens with a dazzling French twist
The Bellevue Hotel has been restored to its former glory through a stylish renovation by design studio Ward + Gray
-
Louis Vuitton’s duo of Osaka exhibitions celebrate the house’s deep-rooted relationship with Japan
Unfolding in Osaka this summer, ‘Visionary Journeys’ is a transporting trip into the house’s history, while ‘Yayoi Kusama – Infinity’ promises an immersion into the works of the Japanese artist, who is a longstanding Louis Vuitton collaborator
-
A nature-inspired Chinese art centre cuts a crisp figure in a Guiyang park
A new Chinese art centre by Atelier Xi in the country's Guizhou Province is designed to bring together nature, art and community
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ spaceship-like Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum is now open
Last week, ZHA announced the opening of its latest project: a museum in Shenzhen, China, dedicated to the power of technological advancements. It was only fitting, therefore, that the building design should embrace innovation
-
A Xingfa cement factory’s reimagining breathes new life into an abandoned industrial site
We tour the Xingfa cement factory in China, where a redesign by landscape architecture firm SWA completely transforms an old industrial site into a lush park
-
Bold, geometric minimalism rules at Toteme’s new store by Herzog & de Meuron in China
Toteme launches a bold, monochromatic new store in Beijing – the brand’s first in China – created by Swiss architecture masters Herzog & de Meuron
-
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizon
A peek at Zaha Hadid Architects’ future projects, which will comprise some of the most innovative and intriguing structures in the world
-
Liu Jiakun wins 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize: explore the Chinese architect's work
Liu Jiakun, 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, is celebrated for his 'deep coherence', quality and transcendent architecture
-
Zaha Hadid Architects reveals plans for a futuristic project in Shaoxing, China
The cultural and arts centre looks breathtakingly modern, but takes cues from the ancient history of Shaoxing
-
The Hengqin Culture and Art Complex is China’s newest cultural megastructure
Atelier Apeiron’s Hengqin Culture and Art Complex strides across its waterside site on vast arches, bringing a host of facilities and public spaces to one of China’s most rapidly urbanising areas