City Weekend - Rays of Light

Chairman Pan Shiyi discusses SOHO China s recent arrival in Shanghai.

By Ashleigh Au

SOHO China Chairman Pan Shiyi s eyes glimmer with excitement when asked to elaborate on the inspiration that informs the properties managed by his development company. When I was a child, the first thing we learned to draw was Tiananmen Square, he recounts. We were taught to sketch the doors, first and then the river, and for the last strokes, rays of light! With all that light emanating from Tiananmen Square, it appeared to be the most magnificent structure ever! That s what I try to achieve in all my projects-that they emit the same kind of electric radiance and attract the awe and admiration of the people.

The fresh modernity and innovative edge that SOHO has instilled in Beijing s corporate cityscape since the company s inception in 1995 has earned it international recognition. Spear-headed by Pan and his wife, CEO Zhang Xin, this romance-turned-business partnership s distinctive dynamism is perhaps thanks to the complimentary combination of different personalities and unique experiences.
Before the couple met, Pan and Zhang could not have traveled more different paths. Born in a remote village of western China s Gansu Province, Pan endured the struggles of working his way out of the countryside to establish himself as a major player in Beijing s real estate industry. Conversely, Zhang studied in Hong Kong and the UK before spending several years working on Wall Street and then making her way back home. Our creativity and innovation come from pooling our knowledge, Pan confides.

The duo has obviously gotten something right. In the span of just over a decade, SOHO China has advanced from assuming management of throwaway projects discarded by other developers to engaging in successive collaborations with world-acclaimed architects, such as Ken-go Kuma and Zaha Hadid, as well as acquiring high-demand properties in prime downtown locations. Developing impressive projects in the city s most affluent and dynamic business centers has been a cornerstone in establishing the SOHO brand of commercial properties. In Beijing, testaments to the strategy s triumphs include the Sanlitun SOHO residential, office and commercial complex, the shining glass-walled dual towers of Zhongguancun SOHO, and the uniquely bubble-themed Guanghualu SOHO. These landmark eyepieces architecture echoes and complements the special interests and complements the special interests and activities of their surroundings, endowing Beijing s most happening vicinities with unique aesthetic character.

Most recently, SOHO has extended its reach to the Shanghai market with their August 2009 purchase of Donghai Square from Merrill lynch, which will be renamed The SOHO Exchange. In the spirit of the SOHO formula, the tower is located on Nanjing Xi lu in the heart of Puxi and is bedecked by fine dining locales, five-star hotels, multi-national business offices and high-profile commercial centers. Upon its projected 2010 completion, the 217-meter high SOHO Exhange will be the tallest tower in the vicinity, brilliant when illuminated at night. Until now Pudong s iconic structures have been the center of architectural development, says Pan, but the life of Shanghai and the pulse of many Chinese businesses is actually in Puxi. Pan smiles, This is where we would like to focus; Puxi s architecture should reflect the amazing things that are happening here.

When asked why Shanghai and why now, Pan answers matter-of-factly: Isn t this the most natural thing for us to do? China is developing so quickly that Shanghai and Beijing are growing closer together. The energy and innovation in these two urban centers is, at the moment, unmatched by any other place in China. We are simply following the momentum. For SOHO China, Shanghai fits into the rubric they have adhered to all along. As the pulsing core of financial developmental and activity, it s the perfect starting point for SOHO s national expansion.

When I look back on the last 10 years, our growth astounds me, Pan remarks. Genuinely content with SOHO s achievements, Pan is pragmatically modest in nature, and repeatedly insists with sincerity that the success of his company is inextricably tied to the fact that its emergence has coincided with the fact that its emergence has coincided with the fastest period of China s development. He reflects, Like many other Chinese people, I have lived in hunger, I have had no clothing, and like many other Chinese people, I have since acquired wealth and social status. A lot of people have tasted bitterness, and many have become richer than me, but the transformation I have lived is monumental.

Pan s humble beginnings serve as a constant reminder of the importance of his involvement in all of SOHO s projects. You need to be familiar with the construction site and understand the people that are working there, he says. Our workers come from the poorest places in China. I have even met people from close to my hometown who speak the same local dialect! He sighs. In a way, the work we provide is also helping China s development; it is work that enables these people to support their families in times when China is changing rapidly. In a further effort to give back, Pan and Zhang created the SOHO China Foundation in 2005 which focuses on improving conditions in schools in Western China.

"I think cities should develop along with their people, and echo the changes in their lives, Pan says. I believe that China has a rich history, but has an even richer future. What China provides now is a large stage, with opportunities not only for architects but for investors from all over the world to come and perform. In Shanghai, SOHO is busying itself with developing the backdrop for this stage, transforming properties and embellishing urban spaces, painting in the rays of light that will illuminate the China of the future.