Mount Bazaar by People’s Architecture Office on Fuxing Island in Shanghai

People’s Architecture Office stacks scaffolding into Mount Bazaar in Shanghai

Rafael CunhaARCHITECTURE17 hours agoShort URL

People’s Architecture Office has built a temporary mountain from modular scaffolding on Shanghai’s Fuxing Island, combining a market, public garden and elevated lookout within one porous structure.

Aerial view of Mount Bazaar on Fuxing Island in Shanghai — Mount Bazaar occupies a 470-square-metre site beside the Huangpu River. Photograph by Yang Chen / whyseeimage

Named Mount Bazaar, the installation was completed for the 2025 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season. Its stepped outline responds to the cranes, sheds and other industrial remains that define the former shipyard landscape, while opening the site to commerce, leisure and scenic viewing.

Mount Bazaar framed by the industrial structures of Fuxing Island — The installation is framed by the industrial structures of Fuxing Island. Photograph by Zhu Yumeng

A market formed from modular scaffolding

The project is assembled from a regular framework of 1.5-metre-square scaffolding units. Arranged on a parallelogram plan, the frame rises towards its north-west corner to create a peak before descending across the rest of the site.

Scaffolding entrance to Mount Bazaar in Shanghai — Sloping edges draw pedestrians towards the market entrance. Photograph by Yang Chen / whyseeimage

Two sloping sides guide north-south pedestrian movement into a triangular market set beneath the structure. Stalls are arranged in two rows below a vaulted scaffolding canopy, keeping the centre legible as a route through the bazaar.

Market stalls arranged beneath the scaffolding structure — Two rows of stalls animate the ground-level route. Photograph by Yang Chen / whyseeimage

Triangular vaulted market space beneath Mount Bazaar — Stacked scaffolding creates a triangular vault above the market. Photograph by Yang Chen / whyseeimage

Zigzag stairs and suspended platforms climb through the frame to an open-air route at the summit. From here, visitors can pause above the activity below and look across the Huangpu River. Seating folded into the street and plaza edges extends the structure’s public role beyond the market itself.

Green zigzag stairs climbing through the scaffolding frame — Zigzag stairs connect the market to the elevated walkway. Photograph by Yang Chen / whyseeimage

View across the Huangpu River industrial landscape from Mount Bazaar — The summit provides views across the Huangpu River industrial landscape. Photograph by Yang Chen / whyseeimage

Blue membranes and red light sharpen the mountain

Overlapping blue membranes stretch across the market roof to provide shade and give the otherwise grey construction system a distinct identity. Their translucent surfaces make the stepped profile appear lighter while reinforcing the impression of a temporary urban mountain.

South facade of Mount Bazaar with blue membranes and scaffolding — Blue membranes mark the stepped silhouette against the open plaza. Photograph by Zhu Yumeng

After dark, the membranes glow from within and the red guard panels lining the stairs are traced by LED strips. The lighting draws a vivid route through the transparent frame, transforming the market into a beacon among the island’s large-scale industrial relics.

Mount Bazaar entrance illuminated for the night market — Red guard panels illuminate the route through the night market. Photograph by Yang Chen / whyseeimage

Night view of Mount Bazaar among the cranes of Fuxing Island — At night, Mount Bazaar becomes a luminous landmark among Fuxing Island’s cranes. Photograph by Zhu Yumeng

Project Credits

Project: Mount Bazaar
Location: Fuxing Island, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
Completion: October 2025
Site area: 470 sqm
Design firm: People’s Architecture Office / @peoplesarchitecture
Chief curators: Li Xiangning, Gao Changjun
Photography: Yang Chen / whyseeimage / @whyseeimage; Zhu Yumeng / @yumeng_zhu_coppakstudio; People’s Architecture Office