2004 | Competition

Client | Shanghai Honyear Investment Company

92200 sqm | Placemaking, Waterfront, Iconic Ride, >150m

The city of Shanghai, in preparation for the World Expo 2010, wished to construct an iconic visitor attraction on a vacant land parcel next to the Puxi side of the Huangpu River. The site commands a city central location with panoramic views of the river, the historic Bund and the Central Business District in Pudong. Spark, with Arup and client Shanghai Honyear Investment Company, were invited by the Shanghai North Bund Development office to submit a competition proposal to design a ferris wheel similar in scale to the Singapore Flyer. Stephen Pimbley, Spark’s founding director, conceived and designed an exciting alternative to the Ferris wheel inspired by the romance and passion of Shanghai. He named it the” Shanghai Kiss”. The proposal went on to win the competition and was rubber stamped by Shanghai Mayor Han as one of the “key cultural attractions for the 2010 Expo”. The Kiss similar in height to the Eiffel tower took advantage of its unique arch type structure to provide high level views over the city that are not possible from the structurally restrictive ferris wheel. The project and an interview with Stephen featured in the 2012 exhibition, “Unbuilt China”.