The Mountain of Vegetation, a Good Story⑧｜The Mountain of Steel

In the Expo Cultural Park, an old man is "looking for mountains" with his wife. Before coming, he read in a WeChat article, "Is there no mountains in Shanghai? Yes, there are mountains in downtown Shanghai." As a "grass-hunting" enthusiast, the old man immediately brought his wife to Pudong to look for this new check-in spot.

A couple took a photo in front of Twin Mountains. Photo by Wo Jia

It is reported that the South Zone of the Expo Cultural Park, including the Twin Mountains, will be open to the public on September 20. By then, people can climb the Twin Mountains, which took seven years to build. The main peak of the Twin Mountains is 48 meters high, and the secondary peak is 37 meters high. More than 7,000 trees are planted on the mountain. It is the first artificial natural forest with a cavity structure over 40 meters high in China, which makes up for the regret that "Shanghai has no mountains".

Twin Mountains were born out of a "golden idea" from a citizen. In 2017, Shanghai publicly solicited design suggestions for the World Expo Cultural Park. Many citizens asked whether it would be possible to build a mountain in the park so that tourists could climb up the stairs and enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Huangpu River from the top of the mountain.

The design of the Eleven-Arch Bridge was inspired by the shape of ancient stone arch bridges. Photo by Wo Jia

Overlooking the greenhouse garden from Twin Hills. Photo by Wojia

Mr. Wu was one of the participants in the initial opinion collection. He recalled that when the community was collecting opinions, he thought that there were no mountains to climb in the urban area of ​​Shanghai except Sheshan in Songjiang, so he proposed the idea of ​​"building mountains" on the spot, and unexpectedly it was adopted.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the site of today's Twin Mountains belonged to Shanghai No. 3 Steel Plant. At the same location, there was a 70-meter-high "Steel Slag Mountain" made of factory waste. When people had nothing to do, they would climb up and look far into the distance, and they could see the Huangpu River and Longhua Airport.

Before the World Expo, Shanghai No. 3 Steel Plant was relocated to Luojing, Baoshan District. At the old site of Shanghai No. 3 Steel Plant in Pudong New Area, the "mountain" that witnessed Shanghai's industrial history has gradually flattened. Some citizens revealed that some former employees of Shanghai No. 3 Steel Plant also participated in the opinion collection, proposing that they hope to climb to the top of the mountain and overlook the World Expo relics. In order to light up the "mortal dream", a plan to connect Shanghai's industrial era and modern life was born.

The "Haishi Sandbar" simulates the ecological environment of hot and arid areas, creating four major landform spaces: mountains, valleys, caves, and sandbars. Photo by Wo Jia

After the suggestion was adopted, a professional team was quickly formed. Three years later, the Twin Mountains project started. This "golden idea" attracted the attention of many people. In the past two years, if you have passed by the Lupu Bridge, you may have witnessed the "mountain-building" process early. On the south side of the Expo Cultural Park, a huge parking garage is rising from the ground with steel and concrete. This "steel forest" is the real Twin Mountains. Every time a citizen passes by, they participate in the "supervision" of the Twin Mountains.

The "Forest on the Cloud" venue simulates a tropical rainforest environment, with "breathing roots" as the plant theme. Photo by Wo Jia

In the "Forest on the Clouds", you can see the rainbow behind the waterfall by climbing up the stairs. Photo by Wojia

Earlier, it might be difficult to build a mountain on a soft soil foundation like Shanghai. However, the shaping of this "artificial mountain" in Pudong uses a PEC steel frame, and the surface is a mixed structure of steel and concrete, which is not only durable but also lightweight.

Twin Mountain is the largest PEC composite structure in China. Its appearance continues the shape of the local mountains in Shanghai. The surface is lush with vegetation, mountain forests and artificial waterfalls. There is a world inside the mountain cavity. Every inch of space is not wasted. Not only is there an exhibition hall, but it can also accommodate 1,500 vehicles, including about 300 parking spaces for charging piles. This is good news for families who travel by car.

Sculptures in the "Cloud Canyon". Photo by Wo Jia

The rolling mountains, like the "Steel Slag Mountain" more than half a century ago, provide a wide view. A modern greenhouse garden is also built nearby, covering an area of ​​22,000 square meters, providing a diverse plant habitat. Citizens may find it hard to imagine that the "predecessor" of this greenhouse garden is the old factory building of the former Shanghai No. 3 Steel Plant. The designer retained some industrial style and combined historical memory with modern elements through the transformation and utilization of the old factory building.

From industrial plants to the World Expo Park, and now to the leisure places for citizens, this land is full of magical "dream-making" magic. Climbing to the top of the mountain, man-made and natural are connected as one, and industry, city and ecological civilization coexist here.