nanjing road

Completed in Shanghai during the Asian Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism study abroad program, this project investigates the anatomy of the megacity — with Shanghai as its subject. In collaboration with a partner, we mapped the city’s urban fabric to understand its evolving state of being, analyzing infrastructure, transit networks, waterways, green spaces, historical growth, landmarks, and district typologies.

Upon arrival, I focused my study on People’s Square — a district at the heart of Shanghai that operates as both civic center and symbolic mirror of China’s rapid consumption and expansion. Within this district lies Nanjing Road, the longest and busiest pedestrian street in the world: 5 kilometers long, 24 meters wide, and drawing over one million visitors daily. Developed in response to a government mandate for pedestrian space, Nanjing Road functions as Shanghai’s commercial spine.

Rather than analyzing the architecture itself, the project foregrounds the improvised and ephemeral elements that shape the boulevard’s atmosphere: signage, trams, benches, and lighting — objects that reflect the city’s constant state of flux. The drawing visualizes the density of neon signage along the street, not as a literal one-to-one depiction, but as an exaggerated aggregate of typical forms. This saturation evokes the boulevard’s excessive visual condition, capturing its sensory overload and urban intensity.