Transformation of the Huangpu River is incredible

From Architect to Advocate: Michel Hossler’s Shanghai Love Story

“I feel like home in #Shanghai.” For a city of such breathtaking scale and rapid evolution, those words from Michel Hossler, the visionary behind the French Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, resonate with a profound, personal connection. His relationship with Shanghai isn’t just a footnote on a professional resume; it’s a deep-seated affinity born from a monumental design project.

Hossler’s journey from a visiting architect to an urban advocate offers a lens into the city’s soul a perspective that sees beyond the skyscrapers to the tapestry of history and humanity that binds it all together.

The Synthesis of Old and New

For an architect, Shanghai is a living laboratory, a breathtaking study in contrasts. Hossler’s greatest insight into the city lies in its unique ability to harmonize dazzling modernity with enduring heritage.

He speaks of the architectural poetry found where the historic Art Deco buildings on the Bund gaze across the Huangpu River at the hyper-futuristic skyline of Pudong. It’s not a conflict, but a conversation a daily dialogue between the city’s ambitious future and its colonial past. His own World Expo design, a building meant to evoke a sense of an urban park and a “sensory experience,” reflected this need for a human, grounded touch amidst the monumental scale.

“Shanghai doesn’t just tolerate its past; it weaves it into its future. The challenge for any designer here is to contribute to that conversation without shouting over the voices of history.”

Life in the Longtangs

While the grand avenues and glittering towers demand global attention, Hossler’s true affection rests in the city’s intimate spaces: the historic longtangs (lane houses). These narrow alleyways, bustling with daily life, are the pulse of old Shanghai. His insight is that the city’s true character isn’t defined by its fastest elevators, but by the communal spirit found on these unassuming streets the smell of street food, the sound of neighbors chatting, the drying laundry strung overhead.

It is in this vibrant, human-scale complexity that he found his sense of “home.”

Shanghai Element	Hossler’s Insight	Emotional Connection
The Bund/Pudong	Architectural conversation between past and future.	Awe at ambition and continuity.
Longtangs	The authentic, human-scale heart of the city.	Comfort and a sense of “home.”
The Pace	An unparalleled energy driving innovation.	Inspiration and professional vitality.

A City of Perpetual Motion

Finally, Hossler finds endless professional inspiration in Shanghai’s relentless pace of change. The city is not static; it’s a colossal engine of innovation. This energy, which can feel overwhelming to a newcomer, is what makes it a fertile ground for designers and creators. His deep dive into the French Pavilion allowed him to tap into this force, giving him a unique perspective on the city’s metabolism a constant reinvention that is both exhausting and exhilarating.

For Michel Hossler, Shanghai is more than just a place to work; it’s a place to live and to feel. It is the rare metropolis that manages to be a global spectacle while still offering the quiet intimacy of a neighborhood, turning a professional assignment into a lifelong devotion.

source:

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