UMBAU
Nonstop Transformation

With this fifth edition of UMBAU. Nonstop Transformation, gmp presents its approach to building conversions through specific case studies. After shows in Venice, Hamburg, New York, and Berlin, fourteen conversion projects from Europe and Asia were exhibited in Shanghai from April 10 to May 5, 2025.

© Shi Wen, Jiang Bo

UMBAU (conversion) means the continuous transformation of existing structures. Just as societies change, so do the demands placed on our built environment. In the context of this constant process of change, those who reuse and recycle materials and components save resources and use the gray energy stored in existing buildings. At the same time, the architectural heritage is preserved in all its forms. UMBAU instead of demolition and new construction is therefore one of the most socially, economically, and culturally relevant topics of our time.

For fifty years, the architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) have been engaged with the topic of UMBAU worldwide and have completed sixty conversions, with another thirty are currently in the planning stage. Fourteen of these projects are on display in the largest UMBAU exhibition to date at the Jiushi Art Salon on Beijing East Road on the Bund in Shanghai. The selection includes buildings of various uses, typologies, and sizes. Public buildings as well as projects for private clients are represented. They are exemplary of the architectural practice of UMBAU and represent a cross section of today’s global challenges in building conversion.

From a comprehensive exploration, concepts are developed that build on existing structures and ensure a contemporary use. At the heart of this process is always the reactivation of the existing, in all its diversity. To document our experiences, we examine the stages of continuous change, from conceptual origin to UMBAU. The past and present of the projects are presented in film, models, and drawings.

With a variety of projects from Europe and Asia, the exhibition at the Jiushi Art Salon in Shanghai highlights the broad range of global challenges in UMBAU. On display are UMBAU projects for cultural buildings and sports facilities, such as the Kunsthalle Mannheim and the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, as well as conversions of industrial buildings, such as the transformation of Shanghai’s largest stainless steel factory into the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts.

• Share