DASHING colours, bold construction and fancy decorations it would be hard for even local residents to recognize the original face of buildings located on No. 8-10, Jianguo Zhonglu. These buildings were the workshops of the Shanghai Automotive Industry (Group) Corporation (SAIC) a few years ago, but now, they house a community of both Chinese and foreign professional creative, consulting and design companies. The name for this community is The Bridge 8.

The Bridge 8 consists of seven buildings, which have been standing for 50 years. At the end of 2003, Building 8 in The Bridge 8 was the first to be reconstructed. In March 2004, refurbishing and reconstruction of the six remaining buildings was begun by Hong Kong Lifestyle Co Ltd. At the end of 2004, all the buildings in this community had taken on new looks - the former workshops still stand there, but the facades and the inner decorations of these buildings have changed. Although traces of former workshops can still be randomly seen, the design of the renewed interiors and exteriors transform these traces into integral parts of their decoration.

Huang Zonghan, the CEO of Hong Kong Lifestyle Co Ltd was the designer of Xintiandi until 2002. In 2004 he found the former workshops and carried out the reconstruction of the area over the following months. On December 27, 2004, the 15,000 square metres of former workshops were given their new name.

The word "bridge" in this community's name comes from the corridors and bridges that connect the seven buildings. These structures, which also connected the workshops in the past, were carefully preserved and restored by the developer.

According to the staff of Hong Kong Lifestyle, another implication of "bridge" is the link between past and present provided by the reconstructed buildings, which also connect foreign and domestic culture and talent. The government of the Luwan District once suggested the name "The Bridge 10" because the buildings are located on Jianguo Zhonglu 8-10. But the developer preferred "8" because this number connotes development and prosperity in Chinese.

Over 90 per cent of the buildings in The Bridge 8 have been rented by creative and design companies from both China and foreign countries. Huang commented that he hoped introducing such new creative industries into the community would provide valuable experience relevant to the more general economic transformation of downtown Shanghai. "Creative industries will change our future," he said.

Pop Shanghai, a client of The Bridge 8, is a creative furniture and decoration company owned by Willie Chan and Avis Woo, from Hong Kong. Their studio in The Bridge 8 was just opened on January 7.

"At first a friend introduced this place to us. After we had visited it, we became interested and started planning to move our studio here," Chan said. "We found that the characteristics of The Bridge 8 had a certain affinity with our own business and careers, characteristics we are fond of."

In Chan and Woo's studio, customers can find works by a number of renowned designers, like Eero Aarnio's "Ball Chair" and "Bubble Chair". Woo said they had introduced these products into Shanghai because they thought it was necessary to familiarize Shanghai people with the most up-to-date artists and designs. They were trying to "synchronize" the culture of Shanghai with the leading trends in foreign countries.

The vision Chan and Woo have of their company reflects the general concept of The Bridge 8 as a connection between local and foreign cultures. Presently, the clients of The Bridge 8 range from artists to consulting companies, from creative design companies to photography studios. Some are outstanding in their fields, such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who designed Shanghai's Jin Mao Tower. The co-existence of these companies and studios helps artists and other professionals communicate with each other and derive mutual inspiration from their contact. Luna restaurant in The Bridge 8 is a gathering place shared by these artists and professionals. There are also a small garden and a cafe where they can meet and exchange ideas.

The Bridge 8 actively involves itself in all kinds of cultural events. France 2004 At Shanghai was opened here; some artists choose this place to hold exhibitions; and even big companies such as BMW think of it as a suitable place to exhibit their newest products. The staff of Hong Kong Lifestyle said that people pay special attention to the area and almost all the rentable space in the buildings had been rapidly snapped up by enthusiastic companies. "Shanghai is an industrial city, so this development is rich in possibilities," commented Huang. "It proves that old workshops can be preserved while making them function in a new way."