XUHUI District plans to build a “hanging garden” for its media hub along Huangpu River.

The West Bund Media Hub is being developed to become a cultural and recreational landmark.

The rooftop garden will be built on a two-story pedestrian platform at the West Bund Media Hub along the river where people can view the riverside scenery, Huangpu district government said. Vehicles will drive beneath the platform and pedestrians will be able to walk over the vehicle lanes freely, an official with the government said.

Four giant “floating islands” have been designed for the sightseeing platform. They will float in the air at the corners of the platform via magnetic force, according to the government’s plan. Tall trees will be placed on the floating islands to create a “spectacular virtual effect.”

Trees and shrubs will cover the whole platform to make it look like a hanging garden along Huangpu River. The hub is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year. It will alleviate the shortage of venues in central Shanghai. Sixteen theaters will be built within the “DreamCenter,” the heart of the media hub.

The West Bund area of Xuhui is one of the “central activities zones” in the downtown area designed by the city government, according to the master plan for the city’s development over the next two decades. The zones are an urban planning concept that includes businesses, culture, entertainment, shopping and tourism.

Other such zones include Lujiazui, the Bund, People’s Square, the World Expo 2010 site, the Qiantan area, Zhongshan Park and Hongqiao Central Business District, as well as the riverside areas of Hongkou and Yangpu districts, according to the master plan.