2026 isn't a big-bang year for Shanghai urban development — more like the echo of old booms finishing up. Most of what's opening now was financed years ago, back when retail looked like a safer bet. The result: a handful of high-profile projects coming online, even as the pace of new starts slows. Malls, yes. But also some thoughtful urban upgrades. Here are seven developments shaping the city this year — not the future, maybe, but definitely the now.
PRISMA Xinjia Centre 新嘉中心
PRISMA Xinjia Centre is another iconic project brought to the developers, Gate M, by HMZ Capital, this time in collaboration with Kerry Properties. This commercial complex will cover a floor space of 360,000 sqm, the largest in Pudong, geared at not only servicing Shanghai but Jinqiao's sub-centers' large international community and a fast-growing technological hub, prompting their motto of "Technological Mindfulness, Green Sustainability, and Integrated Sharing".
German architectural design group ECE extends these themes with a "Wonder Plant" narrative with interactive space and museum like zones such as "the Future City" zone and the "Eco-Canyon" zone within the public space, and areas such as "Star Walk", "Central Gravity", "Deepsea Garden", "Caves", and "Floating Island" zones dominating the interior, ensuring that the mall is not only a place to shop but a destination to be experienced. On the rooftop lies the Xinjia Sky Block by Clou, themed "Prism and Nature," which reimagines the roof as an elevated promenade that blends geometric expressions with open space.
The project is accessible by Line 6, 12, and future Line 21.
One and Two Qiantian Place 前滩广场
There's something about Shanghai's obsession with mountains and hills, with Qiantan Place's architectural form being inspired by terracing mountains and hills, creating a sinuous, terraced podium setbacks embedded with green overlooking the adjacent Huangpu River, completing the office component of the 380,000 sqm QiantanTaikoo Li Development in Pudong.
Designed by KPF (Kohn Pederson Fox Associates) for a joint venture of Hong Kong Swire Properties and Shanghai Lujiazui Group. The development consists of two super-grade A office towers totaling 125,600 sqm: one is Qiantan One, a 24-story tower, and the other is Qiantan Two, a 30-story tower. Both towers rise upon the aforementioned commercial podiums, highlighted by a ninth-floor entertainment terrace topped with a 750 sqm roof garden.
The entire development can be accessed through Shanghai Metro Lines 6, 8, and 11, with a future Metro Line 28.
Minhang Xinzhuang TOD Commercial TOD Town – Tianhui Plaza 天荟广场
After 10 years of the inaugural TODT'OWN development, the southern portion of the development entitled Tianhui Plaza has been completed, marking commercial and community's synergy with "rail transit + national transit + bus + elevated development" that includes Meto Line 1 and 5, the Jinshan branch Line, and the regional Shanghai-Hangzhou Line, bringing more than 100,000 daily passengers into the hub and Shanghai.
Developed in collaboration with Hong Kong's Sun Hung Kai, SIIC City Development, and local Minhang Urban Investment, the project will include not only international, light luxury, and local flagship commercial venues, but also high-end offices at Tianhui Yingzhou, a Hyatt Shanghai hotel, and residences.
The development has given particular emphasis on how people arrive and leave the mall with the inclusion of parking spaces accommodating 2,000 electric bicycles, giving much thought to "the last mile" journey home for citizens, with a local municipal bus system servicing a 5-kilometer living circle radius.
The commercial shopping mall will cover 140,000 sqm, whilst 2,200 sqm within the office complex will be retained to showcase a science and technology incubation platform operated in conjunction with Xinzhuang Town Government and "Jiang Space" aimed at attracting new start-up enterprises aiming to capitalize upon convenience, mobility, and resources brought upon by traffic.
K11 ELYSEA
Located along historical Huaihai Road adjacent from K11's own K11's Art Centre, which opened in 2013, the development takes the historical 1940s "Luo Estate" and transforms it into a shopping destination integrating "art, humanities and nature" into an area of 130,000 sqm, blending history, heritage, and creativity.
Built above Metro Line 1 and Line 14, the new destination culture center takes the Luo Estate and combines Bauhaus and Western classical architectural language to tell a story of history and heritage, whilst informally rejuvenating Huaihai Park by spilling their art operations and culture through potential international art exhibitions, independent design fashion weeks, and environmental forums.
Designed by Hong Kong's Lead8 and developed by New World China Land Limited, the entire design regenerates "individual brand maisons" embedded within living gardens and courtyards, ensuring a cultural experience of shopping and dining. The entire project preserves former French Concession Police Buildings, Fire Stations, as well as laneways that date back to the 1900s.
Currently, Hermes will become the first batch of tenants into the soon-to-be-opened mall, with more "art-retail" tenants in the future extending K11's "Cultural Era 3.0" philosophy.
Shanghai Hongqiao Qianwan Impression City MEGA 虹桥前湾印象城MEGA
Perhaps not exactly 2026, Shanghai Hongqiao Impression City MEGA mall opened at the end of 2025, December 23rd, close enough. Located in the Hongqiao Qianwan area, the mega mall spanning 260,000 sqm aims to serve an area desperately needing not only a service center but also an icon.
The mall aims to blend "dining, sports, fashion, beauty and entertainment", to create "a Gate of Science", attracting not only local but regional visitors from the entire Yangtze River Delta. Already opened in 2025, the entire mall has already experienced much anticipation and vibrancy during New Years in which the architecture, markets, open space, and themed exhibitions had attracted visitors from near and far, with the themed exhibition "Zootopia" gaining much popularity.
There are already many posts on the internet regarding the iconic interior design of the mall with the central arcade reminiscing scenes of a canyon. There are six immersive themes within the mall, including "Valley of Condensation", "Claw Gang", "Fun Gathering Field", "Leyou Bay", and "Bay Circle", creating multiple visual and cultural spectacles of the visual experience.
Again, designed by Hong Kong's Lead8, the malls refence to nature is inherent, with an intent to create an "urban playground" for a district desperately lacking in entertainment and leisure facilities held by an inclusive concept of "technology + Sports + Growth + Pets". Sports are highlighted by Minhang's first Dome Climbers Camp.
Conveniently, once done shopping, one can go to the adjacent Costco for wholesale shopping. Unfortunately, there is no direct metro line that serves the mall, and one would need to find alternative transportation.
Shanghai Circus City Theatre 上海马戏城中剧场
Shanghai Circus City Theater has been located in Daining for many years and will get a new addition in 2026, reinvigorating new life in the Shanghai Circus and Culture tourism stage. The new addition will add professional indoor circus and acrobatic performances, along with the existing Golden Globe Theatre, which has performed the "Time and Space Journey" show for many years, year-round.
The entire design of the project, including the landscape, is meant to represent a spiral spire radiating out into the landscape, in which its golden color complements the existing golden dome. The building consists of a circular performance space of 498 sqm, able to seat 800 audience members.
With ease of access to Metro Lines 1, 20, and 26, the theatre is highly integrated with its urban surroundings within walkable distances to Daning Park and Jiuguang Department Store.
Pudong Longyang Road 龙阳路综合交通枢纽
Pudong Longyang Road Station has always been the gateway for urban Shanghai for departures and arrivals for those travelling the city's first and only Maglev train since 1997, taking only seven and a half minutes from Longyang Road to Pudong Airport. Capitalizing and building upon this unique and historic transit hub linking with many metro lines within Shanghai, Line 2,7,16 and 18, a new high-density development gateway combining retail, office, apartments, open space, and culture, with a total above ground floor area reaching 1.375 million square meters, this development will finally give this major transportation hub the synergy and life that has been lacking since the Maglev's inception.
Master planned by Nikkei Sekkei and ECADI, the project plans on creating an international business center hub showcasing Shanghai's culture while attracting international business and collaboration.
