Designer Benjamin Tan reflects on life in China’s most future-forward city, where riverside walks, Malaysian food and multiculturalism shape everyday life
Shanghai has taught me to think even bigger, live bolder and always be ready to adapt. Here, global architects shape public spaces, every district feels like a design case study and no one blinks if you don’t speak the local language. Life here is diverse, open and always moving forward. Even after 17 years, each day still feels like a new beginning.
The city’s softer edges
What I love about Shanghai is how it reflects the city’s vision of blending private development with public benefit. Some of my favourite spots are free: leafy public parks, scenic riverside walks and cultural spaces that invite you to simply be. I often stroll along the riverside paths in both Pudong and Puxi – it’s where I think, reflect and catch my breath. There’s a certain rhythm to the water and cityscape that inspires me every time.
One of my go-to cafés is Mona Café (127 Guangfu Rd; @mona.by.fotografiska) on Suzhou Creek. It’s unassuming yet well designed – a great place to let ideas flow, whether I’m sketching out concepts or watching the light change through the windows. For a longer reset, I head to Fuxing Island in Yangpu, a former industrial area that is being transformed into a hub for innovation, technology and urban experimentation.
Weekends are for exploring neighbourhoods that are evolving beautifully. Columbia Circle (Yan’an West Rd) in Puxi is one of my favourites – it’s a creative community space built into a former private club, now filled with design studios, food outlets and exhibitions.
Over in Pudong, Eka (18 Caoxi Rd, Xuhui) shares a similar creative energy, with its repurposed warehouse feel and thoughtful layout. The newest addition, Gate M (2266 Longteng Ave, Xuhui), combines design-forward retail with open-air public space.
Design meets daily life
Design here shapes how people live, work and even dine. I’m particularly fond of One Step Garden (@onestepgarden_china), a café chain where each outlet is uniquely connected to nature.
For visual inspiration, I often visit the Museum of Art Pudong (2777 Binjiang Ave; museumofartpd.org.cn), which hosts global-calibre exhibitions in a striking contemporary building. Sinan Books (517 Fuxing Rd, Huangpu) by Wutopia Lab (wutopialab.com) is great for quiet reflection and poetry browsing.
When it comes to food, Orchard CRC (1788 Xinzha Rd, Jing’An) is where I get my Malaysian fix. For an indulgent night out, Villa Le Bec (321 Xinhua Rd, Changning; lebec.com.cn) and Shangri-La’s 1515 West Chophouse & Bar (1218 Middle Yan’an Rd, Jingan; @1515_west_chophouse_and_bar) are reliable favourites for French food and Australian beef, respectively. If I’m craving comfort food, Yunhe Restaurant (188 Penglai Rd, Huangpu) delivers hearty noodle bowls.
