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The key features of the unique cultural landmark, Tank Shanghai

As both an art museum and an open park, Tank Shanghai represents a new kind of urban institution. It seamlessly blends its industrial past with contemporary vitality and fosters a deep connection between art, nature, and dynamic social inclusivity. In this article, we will explore the key features of this unique cultural landmark and some of the exhibitions and events on display in October.

Tank Shanghai, View of one of the tanks, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

Tank Shanghai emerged from revitalizing five abandoned aviation fuel tanks, originally part of Shanghai’s Longhua Airport—one of China’s earliest and largest airfields. After the airport’s decommissioning in 1966, these towering cylindrical tanks and the surrounding area were disused. Only in 2019, this rare example of urban archaeology has been transformed and revitalized into an art centre and open park, boldly envisioned by Open Architecture.

Tank Shanghai, Overview image, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

Open Architecture, founded by Li Hu and Huang Wenjing in New York City and established in Beijing in 2008, is internationally acclaimed for its interdisciplinary approach. The studio develops innovative solutions that promote a more inclusive relationship between humans and nature through built environments.

The transformation of the five decommissioned fuel tanks into a vibrant exhibition center took six years to complete. The galleries and public spaces are housed within the tanks, each towering over 15 meters high, creating unique exhibition areas ideal for installations and new media art. These tanks are interconnected by an underground open space—the museum’s entrance—partially below ground. This design creates a flowing indoor public area illuminated by round skylights and large windows running throughout the space. Furthermore, curved white steel ramps provide access to the tanks from the inside, harmonising with the existing cylindrical structures and introducing a sense of dynamic movement throughout the space.

Tank Shanghai, Interior of Tank Shanghai, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

Tank Shanghai, Exterior vs Interior of Tank, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

Since its opening, Tank Shanghai has showcased high-profile contemporary art exhibitions and hosted various public events, including fashion weeks, book fairs, and festivals. One standout event during our visit was the Shanghai International Light Festival, which captivated us with its emotionally powerful 3D mapping displays projected onto the exterior walls of the iconic circular tanks. The show digitally recreated a new natural environment, interpreting the seasonal transition from summer to autumn through various styles—from abstract bursts of light and neo-impressionist brushstrokes to intricate patterns reminiscent of traditional Chinese embroidery. The juxtaposition of the historic industrial structures, once fuel containers, with the imagery of a blooming digital nature powerfully evoked the importance of envisioning new, alternative possibilities for a future that often seems too predictable.

Tank Shanghai, Detail of Shanghai International Light Festival, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

Tank Shanghai, other than serving as an important hub for contemporary art and cultural events, is renowned for its surrounding open park, welcoming both locals and tourists to enjoy nature without any restraints. The park spans 5 hectares of trees and meadows, encircling various parts of the site and connecting the five cylindrical buildings—formerly aviation fuel tanks, now exhibition halls—via scenic pathways.

Throughout the year, the park's atmosphere is transformed by a diverse array of plants, flowers, and, most notably, tall herbaceous grasses, which add vibrant colours to the landscape. During our visit in early October, whole shrubs of Muhlenbergia capillaris, a perennial cespitose grass, were in full bloom, displaying a stunning cloud of purple-pink flowers. This perennial grass is visually striking and known for attracting beneficial insects. Pollinators such as ladybugs, butterflies, dragonflies, and even hummingbird moths can be easily spotted, adding to the rich biodiversity of this urban oasis. The park addresses the city's need for green spaces, rejuvenating the urban environment and serving as a rare example of ecological restoration in Shanghai.

Tank Shanghai, Blooming of Muhlenbergia capillaris, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

Moreover, this project allows new possibilities for public access to previously inaccessible Huangpu riverside, fostering social activities that go beyond the visit of the museum exhibitions. Visitors actively engage with the park—jogging, picnicking, and capturing photographs and selfies with the spectacular backdrop of blooming flowers. The seamless interaction between people and nature here blurs the boundaries between city and landscape, creating a space that promotes inclusivity, standing out among Shanghai's often exclusive cultural venues.

Tank Shanghai, Blooming of Muhlenbergia capillaris, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

The themes of urban ecosystems, biodiversity, and the animal world are explored inside the museum, too, especially in an exhibition currently on view, The Bird from the Future, by French artist and director Charles de Meaux. The exhibition narrates a world where a red-crowned crane evolved to survive the ecological changes and habitat loss caused by an increasingly anthropized environment.

Tank Shanghai, The Bird of the Future by Charles de Meaux, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

Historically, this crane species holds great cultural significance in Eastern cultures, often appearing as a symbol of nobility and immortality in myths and legends. In collaboration with scientists, including the climate research team Stream Lab (Paris), scientific illustrators, biologists, and artificial intelligence experts, de Meaux explores how this bird might anatomically adapt to harsher environmental conditions. The analysis considered not only changes in its skeleton, plumage, and behavior but also its distinctive call, hypothesizing how its sound might shift in response to a transformed body structure.

Tank Shanghai, The Bird of the Future by Charles de Meaux, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

This exploration comes to life in the exhibition, which begins in an intimate, dark room where visitors first encounter depictions and scientific illustrations of the new red-crowned crane’s anatomical features. De Meaux used heliogravure—one of the earliest photographic processes—to transfer drawings onto copper and galvanised steel plates, using a light-sensitive coating then etched into the metal's surface. From here, visitors continue along an elevated platform that leads into an immense hall, revealing the inside look of the aviation fuel tank.

Here, the cylindrical walls have been used to project a high-fidelity slideshow of images through a laser projector mounted on a rotating platform. This results in a continuous loop of the crane's illustrations moving across the perimeter of the space. In this exhibition sound plays a crucial role in this exhibition. Thus, immersive sound effects of the bird's calls, emitted from eight speakers strategically placed on the exhibition floor, harness the unique acoustic properties of the space, creating a liminal atmosphere rich in reverb and echo.

Tank Shanghai, The Bird of the Future by Charles de Meaux, ph. Amedeo Martines, October 2024

This dynamic combination of art exhibitions, nature, and public events highlights the broader cultural ecosystem of Tank Shanghai—one that is without boundaries, inviting dialogue and ever-evolving. The philosophy, mission, and programming of this institution extend wide and far, bringing a fresh attitude to the continuous flow of events and activities hosted across the park, museum, and gallery spaces week after week. In this rich environment the public is free to shape their own experience while contributing to the meaningful revitalization of this heritage and its contemporary influence.

Tank Shanghai: http://www.tankshanghai.com/en/
The Bird of the Future: http://www.tankshanghai.com/en/exhibition/info114.htm
Shanghai International Light Festival: https://tinyurl.com/2fkrsz3b