Spending four years of undergrad in Shanghai feels like a kind of luxury. One big reason is how incredibly accessible and convenient transportation is. The city is deeply interconnected — a feature that, in many ways, makes up for a lot of the everyday frustrations of urban life.
Shanghai has four major train stations the size of airports, plus two actual airports. I’ve visited all of them. But Shanghai South Railway Station stands out the most to me — especially in terms of design and aesthetics.
It’s a very human-centered space. Source: AERP.
First, it’s super chic — Shanghai South Railway Station feels more like an airport than a train station. Its circular layout isn’t just eye-catching — it’s unified, symmetrical, and whole. Nothing feels fragmented. The glass-and-steel dome overhead lets in natural light, reminding me of an I. M. Pei design: elegant, airy, and modern.
Source: ArchDaily It’s giving IM Pei vibes.
What really impressed me is how the station guides movement. It’s not just efficient — it’s actually pleasant. I entered from one of the many access points around the outer ring. After the standard ticket and security checks, I was on an elevated circular path lined with food stalls and souvenir shops. It felt more like a weekend stroll through a shopping mall than a rushed commute.
Source: AERP. First you enter at the outer cycle, for leisure walk, toilet hunt and shopping.
It’s like a mall. Once you’re done browsing or eating, you descend into the inner, lower circle of the station to board your train.
Source: ArchDaily Descending into the middle, lower sink for waiting areas in front of the gates
Source: ArchDaily Waiting area
The circular design is brilliant because it allows people to move freely — clockwise, counterclockwise, it doesn’t matter. You can take your time, explore a little, and still end up where you need to be without accidentally walking in the wrong direction (a frustrating flaw in many large airports).
Source: ArchDaily Slay.
Just a few days ago, I was at an exhibition on I. M. Pei’s public space designs. One quote stuck with me: good public design, he said, is somewhere you’d want to bring your family on a weekend — not because you have to be there, but because it’s a joy to be in the space. Shanghai South Railway Station really hits that mark!