Shanghai’s urban regeneration has entered a new chapter — one that values cultural preservation as much as modernisation. This shift reflects the city’s commitment to protecting its history and spirit for future generations. In the heart of the old walled city, Aroma Garden embodies this vision, reviving heritage and community life to show how preservation can continue to enrich the present.
The story of Shanghai as a city began in 1553, when it was first fortified with walls during the Ming dynasty. Within these walls, commerce flourished and residents created exquisite private gardens that reflected their love of nature, art and poetry. Among them were the Three Famous Gardens of Shanghai, long celebrated as symbols of refinement and cultural heritage. One of the most cherished was Aroma Garden: a tranquil sanctuary where nature and daily life blended seamlessly. Once a jewel of the Ming dynasty, it is today a forgotten treasure — waiting to be reawakened as a place of pride and belonging.
Since 2002, the Aroma Garden district has undergone a careful restoration, weaving heritage architecture together with contemporary innovation. Today it is home to a school, boutique hotel, villas and shops, shaping a distinctive cultural destination within Shanghai’s Old Town. To carry this vision further, Shanghai Chengtou partnered with JWDK to create a new place brand — sharing Aroma Garden’s story with the world and reaffirming its value for the city.
The uncharted legacy
Through research, JWDK uncovered the many cultural layers once embedded in the private grounds of Aroma Garden, the historic estate of the Gu family. From the masterful garden design to the artistry of Gu embroidery — a fusion of painting and textile craft — to the New Stage theatre that reimagined traditional opera during the Republic era, this corner of Old Shanghai has, for more than four centuries, stood at the forefront of cultural expression.
As its historic buildings are revitalised, Aroma Garden continues to embody the living memory of Shanghai — a place where the stories of residents and generations remain interwoven with the city’s legacy.
Guided by the positioning Unfolding Legacy 一露香传, Aroma Garden is imagined as a living stage for cultural innovation, artistic expression and refined lifestyles. It is both a guardian of four hundred years of history and a canvas for its continual reinvention.
Designing stories for the future
The new visual identity draws inspiration from Aroma Garden’s artisanal heritage while echoing the distinctive architectural character of both past and present. It defines a modern Shanghainese aesthetic: sophisticated, contemporary and deeply rooted in tradition.
The launch of Aroma Garden became more than the unveiling of a new brand. Hosted by Vogue Business in China, JWDK and Shanghai Chengtou introduced the place brand on a stage shared with the city’s leading creative talents — a moment of pride for Shanghai and a powerful symbol of heritage reimagined.
Images: Aroma Garden
