Shanghai's historic Shikumen buildings brought back to original site by robots
Century-old buildings in Shanghai, temporarily relocated in-whole to accommodate underground construction, have been laid back on their original site in an impressive feat of engineering involving over 400 carrying robots stepping in sync, WAM reported.
According to a report by China Central Television (CCTV), the buildings, which weigh 7,500 tonnes and span an area of 4,030 square metres, were originally constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. They feature the Shikumen architectural style, a unique blend of Western influences and traditional Jiangnan-style residences from the southern Yangtze River Delta region.
For decades, they have stood in the city's Zhangyuan cultural and historical block as the best preserved and most diverse Shikumen building complex in Shanghai.
Efforts to move the building complex back into place began on May 19, with a total of 432 small crawler-type transporting robots moving the complex as a whole at an average speed of 10 metres per day.
To accommodate the construction of a ground-level roof for a 53,000-square-metre underground complex, the buildings at Zhangyuan had originally been moved away in whole due to their large number and density, which left no space for renovation and repairs.
Shanghai literally moved a 7,500-ton historic shikumen building complex in Zhangyuan with 432 robotic “legs,” walking 10 meters a day. #Shanghai #Innovation pic.twitter.com/gOrh0QpUQC
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) June 4, 2025
