The HUB is a large development project in the rapidly developing Hongqiao area, more precisely, in its central business district. In addition to the usual offices, a hotel and a shopping and entertainment center, there is also a cultural center, the interior design of which was taken up by the architects Neri & Hu.
According to their plan, the spaces of the building are completely closed from the surroundings to give visitors the opportunity to take a break from the bustle of the city. They enter through the underground level, where metal pipes on the ceiling of the exhibition hall represent the roots of the forest above. The escalator leads through a tunnel to the main hall, the "Forest" itself, where wooden sticks confirming the name are fixed on the ceiling. The walls are paneled with gray sandstone, the railings are made of chestnut wood.
The 750-seat auditorium, the Jewel Box, is decorated with bamboo screens: an allusion to bamboo plates, ancient Chinese writing material - it is as if visitors are invited to document what they see on stage.
Also among the deliberately cave-like spaces of the center are salons, bars, smoking rooms decorated with golden metal, wood and mirrors. Also, hand-painted ceramic tiles are used: the scenes are reminiscent of the "humble past" of the Hongqiao area.
