An integration of design, nature and heritage

At award-winning design firm Open Architecture, the job is not just about creating new buildings, but creating new life and promoting tolerance and inclusiveness in urban settings.

The firm's latest project, Tank Shanghai, located in the city's West Bund area, perfectly fits the bill, says Li Hu, the co-founder of Open Architecture. The new art space is made up of five oil tanks that were once used to store fuel for aircraft in the former Longhua Airport.

Furthermore, the space also combines natural landscapes with buildings and integrates a city park with contemporary art exhibitions, industrial heritage and humanitarian futurism, says Huang Wenjing, Li's wife and the co-founder of Open Architecture.

Unlike traditional art museums that are usually situated in a single building, the art space features five separate tanks that allow visitors to smell the flowers in the area and feel the breeze from the river while walking between exhibition halls, adds Huang.