Places Made of People

“Design is interconnected. I want to use my brand as a medium to share with others.”

In 2020, UPGREATED was conceived from the idea of turning ‘GRADE’ into ‘GREAT,’ and our journey has been nothing short of transformative. Our tagline, “UP TO THE GREATEST,” embodies our brand’s visionary spirit and unwavering self-motivation. 

As a fresh and innovative fashion brand, we’re on a mission to unearth the beauty of oriental culture and infuse architectural aesthetics into our designs. With a curious mindset, we see clothing as a canvas to express an adventurous lifestyle and a go-getter’s attitude towards life. 

I grew up in the heart of Chang Ning District’s Zhongshan Park area, and this deep connection with the neighbourhood played a pivotal role in choosing our studio space. After exploring various options, a friend’s recommendation led me to ANKEN Air, nestled just off Zhenning Rd.

ANKEN Air is more than just a place to work; it’s a thriving community. Since our move in 2022, we’ve built meaningful connections here. Surrounded by dynamic media companies that embrace fresh and trendy brands, we regularly collaborate on exciting brand events. Our neighbours, including NEIWAI and ENERGY, have been incredibly supportive. Our camaraderie extends beyond the workspace, whether it’s our friends at DENTREE downstairs or the folks at Passion Wines next door. 

ANKEN has been a cornerstone in our journey, fostering a collaborative community across their properties in Shanghai. Together, we’re tightly knit, shaping a collective future.

NO WHERE OR NOW HERE? The name of our studio was the beginning of an interesting discussion and association.”

From London to Shanghai, we incorporate the power of technology based on artistic inspiration and creativity into new works presented to the public in an open and interactive state, in direct dialogue with the public through the practice of the product. NOWHERE is a creative and design studio engaged in the artistic exploration of new media and digital interaction. Through innovative artwork, we bring new cultural relevance to brands and new business value to our clients. We have cooperated with clients such as Nike and Cartier…

NOWHERE’s first art product-CUBE, was a sound installation, a handmade, white, raw cement cube that evokes sounds of a primitive forest. We took a raw material and injected technology into the art to present it to the public, creating an association of unfinished business.

In choosing our office space, we were looking to continue our style; open space, high quality layout, natural colors. These seem to be simple but actually need to be well thought-out.

The first time I visited ANKEN Access, the aromatherapy in the washroom, the art installations on the walls, the neatly organized signage, all the seemingly unintentional details, have been well-designed.

Since we moved in in 2020 we have met like-minded people in this big community and we have gained a pleasant and relaxing office atmosphere. The various activities organized by ANKEN on a regular basis, such as the rooftop padel court and the warm and caring property management make us feel that ANKEN is a big family and that we are all tightly knit together.

“I just wanted to get my hands in the soil and get involved with nature!”

Eight years ago, I connected with SkyFarm when searching for a gardening community. They had a project at the top of ANKEN Green that had gone wild, and they asked if I wanted to bring it back to life!

When I arrived at ANKEN Green, I was in for a shock. ANKEN already farmed half, and it was beautiful, but SkyFarm’s half was out of control. It had to be completely re-done. I didn’t know where to start, but ANKEN were a pillar of support. Thanks to them, I learned how to run an urban garden.

For eight years, SkyFarm has been my passion project. We’re at ANKEN Air now, and there are nine of us volunteering. We’ve evolved together. We’re much more efficient, and we work smart. It’s so fulfilling to garden with a community of like-minded people. I’ll always be grateful to Alex and ANKEN for helping us do what we do.

“We feel free here.”

“YongPu was born in 2014, with the hope of making it easy for everyone who loves life to have a good cup of coffee. We launched a new concept and mascot in 2019, Shi Duanzheng, our guardian stone lion. It may sound childish, but everyone still has a little bit of fear in life and is in need of a corner to be protected and listened to.

As a start-up company, we are relatively young and full of energy. We needed a space for our team that gave us room to grow, physically and creatively.

YongPu was previously located in the nearby historic YuYuan Road. A friend recommended ANKEN and after we saw the environment for ourselves, we were determined to choose ANKEN. 

When we moved to the ANKEN Air family in 2020, we realized this would be a great place for like-minded people. It is welcoming towards pets and has a lot of open public spaces where we love skateboarding at lunchtimes; we feel free here.

ANKEN as a community has created a utopian atmosphere for us, both property and neighbours are very respectful of each other, and the experience is great… We’re connected like family.

We need to partner with like-minded companies that share our values, whether in brand co-branding or choosing office locations for our employees. The humanistic care of ANKEN, the brand concept, and the open and free community environment of ANKEN buildings are very compatible with our concept, progress together, build together, grow together!

“Do it with a punch and go for the impossible challenges.” 

MA: We opened Aboro Boxing Gym in Shanghai in the early 2000s when there was no investment in sports. Our vision was to create a community around boxing. Boxing is so ‘one’, so holistic. We wanted to offer people the kind of holistic training that could change their lives.

MY: ANKEN’s co-founders, Alex and David, were crazy enough to go with our concept! We didn’t know anything about running a fitness business, and Michele was in recovery from stage 3 cancer. So, there were a few challenges!

MA: ANKEN were the matchmakers – they created a space by putting the right people together. They didn’t just give us a space; they cared about us. Ten years on, we’re still disrupting the fitness industry and changing people’s lives.

MY: Shanghai’s fitness industry is going through a period of evolution. Now, people are becoming more aware of this holistic approach to health and fitness.

“Stories happen here and are recorded by us.”

From a single store in 2011 to having a presence in over 15 cities, BEIYU has served hundreds of thousands of couples, using photography to reflect the diverse range of emotions and perspectives that life encompasses. BEIYU specialises in capturing precious moments within a limited shooting period to authentically portray the journey of love through the art of the lens.

As an entrepreneurial company, BEIYU never stops at just a single wedding photo shoot. We insist on in-depth research and development in the field of original photographic art. Our collaborations extend to shooting celebrity covers for renowned magazines such as YOKA.com and ELLE, cross-border partnerships with brands such as Tadao Ando’s Beijing Youth Exhibition, VERA WANG HAUTE and ziroom.com, and photographic printing services for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

When selecting a studio space, we have also remained true to our brand ethos of “simplicity and elegance”. After extensive research and site visits, we ultimately chose ANKEN Avenue as our location in Shanghai. The distinctive red building, which exudes a sense of timelessness, pays meticulous attention to every detail, embodying the magical essence of Shanghai in its space.

We have met partners in this big community, gained a warm and welcoming office atmosphere, and the numerous customers who have come to shoot their stories here have expressed their love for the environment of the environment.

Like ANKEN, BEIYU possesses its own unique philosophy and sentiment. Through the lens, we capture natural beauty, creating a timeless “new” romance that will endure for years to come.

“Change takes time, it doesn’t happen overnight.”

ANKEN Green always felt like a piece of Copenhagen in Shanghai. It was whitewashed, modernist, and industrial. There were striking design similarities to our Jorn-Utzon-designed HQ back home.

When we met Alex and David, we discussed our vision. Having a sense of community was vital. ANKEN are selective about their tenants because everyone must fit into the family. They care about how people come together and created a community that facilitated connection.

We were blessed to find people whose values aligned with our products and with whom we could share a mission. Both Paustian and ANKEN look to create long-lasting positive change. In 2010, students came from Denmark to see Shanghai’s commercial and industrial activity. Back in Denmark, they reported on what they saw. Paustian inspired other Danish companies to launch in China.

“We started a movement.”

“Factory 5 was born in 2010 because we needed a hub for organized bike riding activities. It started with a few friends meeting in cafes and riding fixies.

Later, we found our own space, and things launched from there. Our first location was a club house. You could attend community events and buy stuff for bikes. Community was always important to us. Back then, we were the only group of people riding fixies, so we stuck together.

When we moved to ANKEN Life in 2013, we knew it would be a great place to bring in like-minded individuals. It was a good customer base and all-around great location to grow our community.

As a retailer, we had to decide between having a storefront vs. having a community. Joining ANKEN Life made sense for us. They had event attracting huge crowds at least once a month. People who weren’t initially interested in bikes would wander in and end up riding a bike home.

We stayed in ANKEN Life until a competitor bought us out in 2017.

Factory 5 was a fantastic grassroots standalone, but Shanghai doesn’t need Factory 5 anymore! The fixie scene has matured, and plenty of bike shops are around. In the end, we started a movement – that means something.