Allowing a city to grow while preserving its history is an especial challenge in Shanghai, given its exceptional growth rate. But two San Francisco-based architecture firms are trying just that. Join us for a discussion with Ellen Lou, Associate Director at Skidmore Owings and Merrill and Michel St. Pierre, Director of Planning and Urban Design at Gensler as they discuss their respective plans of downtown Shanghai. These include master plans for the historic Puxi district as well as redevelopment plans for the Huangpu River waterfront, which will newly incorporate the river into the city’s urban center.

This program is part of the Shanghai Celebration. For more information on this year-long San Francisco Bay Area-wide collaboration and its associated exhibitions, films, performances, lectures, and other events, please visit www.shanghaicelebration.com. The cornerstone of the Celebration is the Asian Art Museum’s presentation of Shanghai, a major exhibition examining the visual culture of one of China’s most cosmopolitan cities, scheduled for February 12— September 5, 2010.