NBBJ Completes Shanghai Tower Built to Lure AI Firms

NBBJ has completed the Shanghai Science and Technology Investment Tower, a mixed-use complex in the core business district of Zhangjiang Science City that combines offices, retail and a hotel under one roof. The client, Shanghai Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone Development Co., Ltd., briefed the firm to attract cutting-edge technology companies — including artificial intelligence firms — to the district.

The architects describe the project's ambition plainly. In their project text, they say the tower is designed "to serve as a catalyst and driving force in the development of a world-class scientific research and innovation platform." That's a tall order for a single building, but the program stacks the pieces needed for it: workspace, hospitality and commerce in one address.

Nancy Yin led the design team, which included Vikrant Dalvi, Jean Xu, Yitian Zheng, Kadri Kerge, Jihyung Kim, Jose Perez-Griffo Viqueira, Mark Berlinrut, Luis Padron, Craig Brimley, Ruth Wang, Zhi Li and Sai Hu.

Who delivered the building?

NBBJ didn't work alone. East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. (ECADI) served as the local design institute — a standard and legally required pairing for foreign architects in China.

The consultant roster runs deep:

• Landscape architecture: NBBJ with SWA
• Lighting: UnoLai Lighting
• Façade consultancy: ALT Cladding
• Façade construction (offices): Shanghai Full Arts Curtain Wall Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Façade construction (hotel and retail): Jangho Curtain Wall Engineering Co., Ltd.

The split façade contracts — one contractor for the office envelope, another for the hotel and retail portions — signal how the building's three functions were delivered as distinct packages rather than a single uniform shell.

What does this change for Zhangjiang?

Zhangjiang Science City is Shanghai's designated hub for research and tech industry, and the tower sits in its core business district. For AI and deep-tech companies weighing a Shanghai address, the project adds a purpose-built option with a hotel and retail on site — useful for recruiting visits, conferences and the day-to-day needs of a dense workforce.

It also continues a pattern: state-linked developers like Lujiazui are commissioning international firms such as NBBJ to design the physical infrastructure for China's AI ambitions. Buildings like this one are the hardware for that strategy, and more mixed-use towers in Zhangjiang's business core are likely to follow as the district scales up.