Shanghai - Global Influence, Urban Change & Architectural Identity

The itinerary shown is purely an example. All of our trips can be built around your school’s needs, with so many wonderful things going on in these Chinese cities, there’s so much to see and do…

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Day 1 – Arrival & Orientation

  • Arrival in Shanghai and airport transfer to hotel

  • Welcome briefing: Shanghai’s historical and architectural development

  • Introduction to observation journals and sketching tasks

  • First impressions walk in the local area

  • Evening meal and rest after travel

Day 2 – Old Shanghai & Classical Design

  • Exploration of Yuyuan Bazaar

  • Visit to Yuyuan Garden

  • Focus on:

    Classical Chinese architecture and design

    Symbolism, balance and spatial planning

  • Architectural sketching and observation tasks

  • Guided discussion on cultural values in design experiencing Ming Dynasty design within a modern megacity

  • Evening group dinner in the Yuyuan area

Day 3 – Shanghai as a Treaty Port & Global City

  • Guided architectural study of The Bund

  • Focus on:

    Colonial-era trade buildings

    Architecture as power and global influence

  • Skyline study across to Pudong

  • Reflection session:

    East–West interaction and global identity seeing historic European architecture facing futuristic skyscrapers

  • Evening cultural walk along The Bund

  • Evening group meal near The Bund experiencing one of the world’s most iconic skylines at night

Day 4 – Art, History & Cultural Identity

  • Visit to the Shanghai Museum

  • Focus on:

    Ancient Chinese history and material culture

    Art, design and identity across dynasties

  • Guided analysis of artefacts and architectural influences

  • Afternoon exploration of a central district

  • Reflection:

    Continuity and change in Chinese culture connecting ancient design traditions with modern China

  • Evening at the hotel

 

Day 5 – Creative Architecture & The Future City

  • Visit to M50 Art District

  • Focus on:

    Urban regeneration and adaptive reuse

    Industrial to creative transformation

  • Creative project:

    Design a future Shanghai building or district inspired by the city’s history

  • Architectural sketching and concept development

  • Group presentations in a studio or courtyard setting

    designing and presenting ideas in a working creative district

  • Evening visit to Xintiandi

  • Group dinner in a restored historic setting experiencing historic architecture reimagined as a modern social space

Day 6 – Revolution, Politics & the Modern State

  • Visit to the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China

  • Visit to the Former Residence of Sun Yat-sen

  • Focus on:

    Revolution, reform and political change

    The relationship between politics and urban development

  • Seminar-style discussion standing at the birthplace of modern Chinese political history

  • Evening cultural performance or theatre experience

Day 7 – The Future City & Global Architecture

  • Visit to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

  • Focus on:

    Urban planning and future development

    City design at scale

  • Study visit to Pudong skyline:

    Shanghai Tower

    Jin Mao Tower

    Shanghai World Financial Center

  • Visit to the China Art Museum experiencing the scale and ambition of Shanghai’s future city

  • Farewell celebratory group dinner near The Bund reflecting on the journey in one of the world’s most dynamic urban landscapes

Day 8 – Departure

  • Final reflection and evaluation session

  • Programme close

  • Transfer to airport