In the labyrinth of the alleys of Zhangyuan, former district of this disproportionate metropolis, a 7,500 tonne -ton heritage complex was moved by several tens of meters without losing a brickbefore returning to its original place. How ? Thanks to an army of 432 miniature robots, piloted by artificial intelligence, which made these centenary houses “walk” as we would move a domino tray without bringing a piece to fall.
Zhangyuan was to be moved to release his basement to allow the construction of a future metropolitan hub. Given its historical and cultural weightthe city has firmly excluded the possibility of destroying it, which led to this fairly incredible decision, let’s say it.
The old Shanghai refuses to give in
The Zhangyuan district, located west of the historic heart of Shanghai, is One of the last authentic witnesses in the Shikuman style. A typical architecture mixing red bricks and wooden structures, which appeared at the end of the 19th century to house the middle class, then in full ascension.
The Huayanli sector, with its three buildings dating from the years 1920-1930, represents one of the last enclaves of a missing lifestyle, characterized by a dense network of narrow alleys. This urban fabric, built in a time when the city still extended horizontally, is today a rarity in a dominated metropolis by the immense skyscrapers and the large avenues extending as far as the eye can see.
This is why demolition was not even a possible option for the municipality. However, Shanghai continues to grow, and it must still adapt to the monster pressure exerted on urban space. This is why she embarked on A vast urban project ; An immense underground complex combining parking lots, commercial and cultural spaces as well as a nerveless point for the crossing of three major metro lines (2, 12 and 13). Zhangyuan’s buildings therefore traveled to leave a little room.
A robotic move to preserve the soul of Shanghai
To do this, 432 robots called ” crawlers “Were mobilized, each capable of lifting several tens of tonnes. Placed under the infrastructure, they moved them in a coordinated manner at a speed of 10 meters per day (see video below). The Ambulant Castle by Hayao Miyazaki only has to stay well!
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These machines, despite their relatively modest size, managed to move A set of buildings covering more than 4,000 m²without cracking them or destabilizing their foundations. This Herculean project required other complementary technologies to guide robots: 3D sensors, AI algorithms, dial comparators, etc. They were helped by other robots, designed to slip into narrow passages in order to carry out drilling and consolidation of foundations under the future complex.
The operation, started on May 19, 2025, ended on June 7 with theE exact repositioning of the Huayanli sector at its original location. He had been temporarily moved in 2023 to allow the start of the new underground work. If we consider this project from an urban point of view, Shanghai has managed to reconcile two temporalities, often diametrically opposed in this area. That of heritage (long time) and that of economic and infrastructure development (immediate time scale): proof that one can go with the other, if we manage to give oneself the technological means.
- A historic district of Shanghai was moved without damage thanks to a cohort of several hundred mini-robots.
- This operation made it possible to preserve the heritage while releasing space for an important underground urban project.
- Shanghai thus shows that it is possible to combine respect for the past and urban development.
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