Open Architecture transforms airport facilities into Tank Art Park in Shanghai

The point where old and new meet is often the space where some of the most interesting architectural experiments take place; and Shanghai's brand new Tank Art Park is a case in point. The city's latest cultural space is the brainchild of Beijing based studio Open Architecture and opened its doors to the public this weekend.
Occupying five abandoned aviation fuel tanks and further facilities that once belonged to Longhua Airport, the site is an expansive 47,448 sq m situated on the West Bund district, by the river. The tanks and their surroundings have now been transformed into an integrated cultural space that brings together art, leisure and nature – something of a specialty for Open Architecture. The studio is experienced in innovative art spaces that offer eye-catching design but also blend with their context – their latest works include projects, such as the UCCA Dune Art Museum.
The new space is located on the banks of the Huangpu River in the city’s West Bund district.
The five tanks serve a large variety of uses; there's dedicated space for live music performances in one, another hosts a restaurant, while the last three are designed to contain exhibition spaces. A large open air park unites everything, creating valuable green space for the city on the banks of the Huangpu River as well as connections between the different areas. Further flexible indoor exhibition and service spaces can be found below ground level, subtly interconnecting the tanks.
The architects were keen to maintain the site's distinctive character, so, many of the original industrial features were preserved. ‘[The project transforms] containers of fuel into containers of culture, while paying tribute to the site’s industrial past', they say.
One tank hosts a restaurant, and the last three house art and cultural exhibition spaces.
The project combines contemporary art with nature and urban life.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the website of Open Architecture
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).
-
Prodrive updates its sleek racing simulator with new craft and fresh tech
Race at home in style with the latest version of Prodrive’s racing simulator, now equipped with Bang & Olufsen sound
-
A local architect’s guide to Joshua Tree
Mirtilla Alliata di Montereale shares her favourite things to do to slow down, look closely, and discover Joshua Tree through a more intentional lens
-
Art meets perfume in cross-disciplinary fragrance series Nez 1+1
Talents from film and fragrance come together to create Ansongo, the latest scent resulting from a creative matchmaking project by perfume revue Nez
-
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
-
The Yale Center for British Art, Louis Kahn’s final project, glows anew after a two-year closure
After years of restoration, a modernist jewel and a treasure trove of British artwork can be seen in a whole new light
-
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
-
You’ll soon be able to get a sneak peek inside Peter Zumthor’s LACMA expansion
But you’ll still have to wait another year for the grand opening
-
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