SOHO Shangdu is designed by Peter Davidson of LAB architecture studio, which was responsible for the design of the renowned Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by the forms and patterns which have built the natural world, SOHO Shang Du's architectural design is yet another breakthrough with its avant-garde character. The design consists of a low-rise commercial galleria with 37,000 square meters of retail space, and two medium-rise towers. One tower holds offices and the other is devoted to residential and studio use and integrates SOHO China's vertical warehouse shell approach.
The retail space is conceived as a dynamic contemporary interior, a geode with a crystalline galleria over five levels. It contains a programmed bridge to connect the two sides of the development, which exist on separate blocks. The interior galleria spaces will facilitate a range of events from fashion parades to concerts and can be altered to both 'outdoor' and 'indoor' modes, depending on the extreme fluctuations of Beijing's weather.

The facetted glass surfaces of the tower facades are inscribed with a network of geometrically determined lines. At night the continuous light lines that follow this geometry will form a distinctive nocturnal image for the towers - resembling luminous jewels. Lab's proposal will provide a uniquely vibrant and activated urban space in central Beijing.