Construction will begin next year on an underground shopping center in northern Yangpu District, an architect with a subway design institute in the city said yesterday.

　　The shopping center, which will include stores, restaurants and other entertainment facilities, will be four times the size of the shopping center under People's Square.

　　"The new underground complex will become the city's biggest one of its kind," Yu Jiakang, chief architect for the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering and Rail Transit Design and Research Institute, said yesterday.

　　He made the comments at the beginning of a series of activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the institute, which is responsible for designing most of the city's existing tunnels and metro lines.

　　The new underground complex will be constructed near the Wujiaochang Area. It will be built between two stations of a future subway line, and stretch from Jiangwan Stadium on Songhu Road to Siping Road.

　　Yu said the complex will cover 400,000 square meters of floor space.

　　He said the complex will comprise two underground floors, each of which will have a construction area of 200,000 square meters.

　　"Overall, there will be three kilometers of walking distance, surrounding the underground shopping and entertainment complex," he said.

　　He said construction on the underground complex is expected to kick off next year, but no completion date has been set.

　　Yu also said some local and Hong-Kong-based companies have expressed interest in building retail outlets, restaurants, and indoor sports centers in the underground complex. He wouldn't reveal the names of any of those companies, however.