SHANGHAI ARCHITECTURE STORIES
The History of art, fashion and architecture in Shanghai is full of names and stories worth being taken out of oblivion. Especially in the XX Century, Shanghai was the dreamland of many western architects with nothing to lose but a whole legacy to write.
In between all these stories, many anonymous professionals contributed to the development of the city and to transform Shanghai into the city we can enjoy nowadays. In between all these dreamers, there are 2 amazing stories developed almost in parallel that supposed a great contribution to the city heritage.
SHANGHAI XX CENTURY HERITAGE
From the 1920s to the 1940s, Shanghai was the stage where East and West met in terms of fashion and architecture. Although this is still happening today, the impact the city suffered in those times was much more perceptible due to the lower development in those times. The city hosted a large number of westerners living in the city, particularly British, American and French, whose nations had established official diplomatic concessions in Shanghai.
Shanghai Bund - Source Lonely Planet
The scene was mainly taken over by foreign architects at the same time Chinese architects were returning from their abroad study programs. This supposed the landing in China of the Western styles that were on scene, mainly represented by Art Deco, incorporating upturned eaves and traditional Chinese motifs into their designs. A large number of these buildings are today still located along the Bund, the riverfront international settlement that still contains Shanghai’s most famous and best-preserved collection of colonial architecture from this era.
Shanghai Peace Hotel - Source Viator
Chinese deco could even be present in some other Shanghai’s life aspects, such as fashion, creating a new glamour fashion movement that reminded the Charleston dancing.
Shanghai Cathay Theatre - Source Time Out Shanghai
The architecture new iconic dimension of Shanghai has been materialized in the Bund. This collection of colonial buildings is today the most glamourous promenade in the city and has been the cinema stage for movies like James Bond’s Skyfall or Stephen Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, Although it is almost impossible to highlight any of the constructions, there are some notorious pieces of architecture like the Waldorf Astoria, the bank of China Building or the Bank of Communications Building, that was set as the last construction of the colonial era in China before the establishment of the Republic of China in 1949.
Bank of Communications - Source Navona Numismatics
This new Asian revival of Belle époque attracted many influential businessmen and artists attracted by the new business chances, and a whole white canvas represented a new vibrant city to be built and designed. The summit of these times was the happy 20s when many of the city's art deco buildings were built and whole new districts were designed for this new empowered social class. Between the city districts, the most well-known foreign concession in Shanghai was the French Concession, operated by the French government during the early 20th century. Today, this district of Shanghai still retains much of its architectural heritage from that era.
Wukang Mansion - Source Trip com
ARCHITECTURE PROMISE LAND
From the 1920s to the 1940s, Shanghai became the experimental stage where East and West met in terms of architecture and where hundreds of western architects came attracted by the Asian dream of a blank paper ready to be designed.
The establishment of the new British, American and French Concessions made the number of architects coming from those countries the majority. In general, these new foreign areas attracted more and more people that poured into what was named the new "Paris of the East". From 1900 to 1930, these new areas grew with about 80,000 new buildings. At first, these new buildings were an exclusive mission of the foreign architects, but as Chinese students returned with overseas architectural degrees, they joined the newly established foreign architectural companies to become later partners or owners of their new companies."
The China Architects Academy had a total of 39 registered architects in 1930, 37 educated overseas of whom 29 had studied in the United States.
Architecture Archives - Source Open Edition Journals
This mentioned fact made that many of Shanghai's pre-1949 Western-style buildings were the work of China's first generation of architects, mostly returned from abroad and in cooperation with newly established foreign firms.
One of the pioneers in this new adventure in China was the architect George Leopold Wilson. He began his professional career at H. W. Peck Architects in London in 1898 and E. B. J. Cluson from 1901 to 1908. In 1912, Wilson joined a trip to Shanghai to open a branch office for Palmer and Turner firm (P&T) where he became a partner in 1914. Originally settled in Hong Kong, the Shanghai office of Palmer and Turner developed in the mid-1920s and was commissioned to design city icons as the Peace Hotel. With this firm, many other American, French and British firms tried to open their market in the vibrant city.
George Leopold Wilson took part in a total of 22 buildings of various styles were built in the Bund from 1879 to 1934.
Fairmont Peace Hotel - P&T Group
At the beginning of the 1930s, the design of buildings in the city was an exclusive monopoly of westerns architects and firms. By the late 1930s, Chinese architects had designed more than 20 percent of buildings taller than 10 stories. Of the 30 architectural firms registered in 1936, more than 10 were already established by Chinese architects.
The returned talented architects mixed with foreign firms, giving birth to a sort of Chinese Architecture Renaissance. These influences were directly translated into a new boom neoclassical British-style, Art Deco American influence, and French, Russian, American and German architectures spreading throughout the Western Concessions.
While most of Shanghai’s architecture icons were designed by western architects, some local figures as the Chinese architect Yang Xiliu emerged in this context. Educated at Jiaotong University in Shanghai, he was better known by his western name S. J. Young. As one of the most promising young architects of the time, he was chosen by a group of Chinese investors to do some design works in the elite Paramount Hotel, built on Yuyuan Road. The result was one of the most unique ballrooms in Shanghai and the world at that time.
Paramount Hotel Ballroom - Source Shanghai Sojourns
The list of foreign-based architectural firms settled in the city in the 1930s speaks to the city’s role as a global metropolis and its importance as a cultural and fashion reference since then.
Among all the architects and firms, the city has been the stage of many stories of architects that came with a dream. Some of them achieved it and became part of this city’s remarkable heritage. Some others did not or were simply forgotten. Probably the most celebrated story is the one lived by the famous Austro-Hungarian architect László Hudec (1893-1958) , who built over 100 buildings in the nearly 30 years he developed his career in the metropolis (1918-1947).
On the other hand, the career of the Spanish architect Abelardo Lafuente Rojo (1871–1931), represents the career of many other anonymous architects who came and contributed to the development of the city and leave their footprint in the local heritage legacy. He became a symbol of these almost forgotten architects and the only Spaniard to have an architect studio registered in Shanghai. During his career between 1913 and 1931, he contributed to many architecture pieces, especially in the field of hotels. But his contribution was also remarkable in the settlement and development of Cinema in the city.
LáSZLó HUDEC LEGACY
Hudec was born in 1893 in Besztercebánya, today Banská Bystrica in Slovakia, son of a reputed architect. From 1910 to 1914 he studied at the Technical University in Budapest, where he graduated as an architect. After his graduation, he got a job in Ervin Ybl’s office immediately, although his professional career was interrupted by the War outbreak
Laszlo hudec - Source Art Deco
As a patriotic Austro-Hungarian citizen, Hudec volunteered to join the Austro-Hungarian Army after outbreak of World War I, but was captured by the Russian Army in 1916 and sent to a prison camp in Siberia where he stayed until 1918. He managed to escape from captivity while being transferred to another camp, jumping from a train near the Chinese border. It was how he managed to end up in Shanghai, where he first lived a clandestine life, using multiple names, nationalities and languages, until he finally joined the American architectural office of R. A. Curry.
Wukang Mansion (Normandie Apartments) - Source Amey Kandalgaonkar (ArchiPanic)
In 1925, he set up his own practice, opening up a golden age that made him an icon of the city and the most famous foreign architect in the first half of the XX Century in Shanghai. His impact in the city was so deep that he was voted as one of the “99 Shanghai Symbols”, being the only foreigner to appear in this selected list. Some of his designs like the Normandie Apartments were also in this list. He didn’t only get orders from the international expatriate colonies but also from the new Chinese administration and the new financially-empowered bourgeoisie. His first important project for a Chinese client was the Joint Savings Society. During his career in Shanghai, he was responsible for at least 37 buildings up to 1941, leaving a legacy of more than 100 buildings in the city. 44 of them still in use.
Union Building (Joint Savings Society) - Source Shanghai Daily
Hudec’s style evolved during his years in China, from the eclectic neo-classicism of the early years of 20th century to the newer Art Deco in the middle of the century, finishing his career with some modern buildings. His main influential areas scoped the areas around People Square, the Bund and the residential district around Xinhua Road.
It is in the later residential district where he developed his distinctive residential style with some villas.
GreenHouse - Source Artodu com
Although the range of Hudec′s Buildings, the general opinion of experts points out be the 22-story Park Hotel Shanghai as his masterpiece. Located on Nanjing Road across from People's Square, this building was finished in 1934, being the tallest building in the city until the 80s. This period was the architect most fruitful period lasted until 1937, when he built most of his art deco and modern-style public and private buildings such as the Grand Theatre, Dr. Woo House, or the Hubertus Court.
Park Hotel - Source Shanghai Daily
During his career he tried as a developer, investing his money in Real State, mainly in the 40s.
These years became less active in terms of design and much more related to political and management with the Hungarian and Jewish community in Shanghai. After getting his Hungarian citizenship back, he was assignedthe honorary consul in Hungarian Embassy, while he started planning his way back to Europe, to devote his retirement years as an Archaeologist.
Hudec Home - Source Heartfield Editing
In 1943 he opened the Hungarian Consulate in Shanghai and although it was closed in 1944, he managed the keep the affairs of the Hungarian community, being an active member in the protection of Jews and against the cruelties of the Japanese during the occupation.
After leaving Shanghai in 1947, Hudec moved to Lugano and later to Rome. In 1950 he moved to Berkeley where he taught at the University of California. He died from a heart attack during an earthquake in 1958. In 1970 his remains were buried in an evangelical cemetery in Banská Bystrica.
ABELARDO LAFUENTE GARCIA-ROJO. THE ANONYMOUS ARCHITECT:
Abelardo Lafuente Garcia-Rojo was born in 1871 in Madrid. Although he studied in Madrid, he started developing his career in the colonial capital of the Philippines, Manila. Helped by his father influences, Lafuente set up a studio named A. Lafuente Architect & Contractor.
Abelardo Lafuente - Source Metalocus
After making some money, he decided to move to Shanghai in 1913 to experience living the excitement of the city development. He initially worked under the brand A. Lafuente Garcia-Rojo, Architect & Contractor. Later, he joined American architect G. O. Wootten to create a new joint venture studio: Lafuente & Wootten studio. This studio developed some celebrated designs such as the Astor House Hotel ballroom, built in 1917.
After a few years of partnership with G.O Wootten Lafuente took up his former design brand A. Lafuente Garcia-Rojo, Architect. Afterward he partnered with Russian architect A. J. Yaron, changing the studio's name once again to Lafuente & Yaron.
Astor House Hotel Ballroom - Source Travelage West
During the early years of the XX Century between 1913 and 1931, he was the only Spaniard to have an architect studio registered in the city. In these years he contributed to the establishment of the western influences in the new city building style, but also with some experiments blending the Mozarab and Moorish styles from Spain into Chinese architecture for the first time in the city.
During his most productive and busy years, Lafuente worked for the biggest hotel company in Asia at the time, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd., performing rehabilitations, renovations and refurbishment projects in some city constructions between 1916 and 1926. One of the result pieces is the conversion of the former McBain family home into the Majestic Hotel in 1923, and its new ballroom considered the most luxurious of the time in Asia.
Majestic Hotel Ballroom - Source Katya Knyazeva Live Journal
During the golden years of his career in Shanghai, he designed in 1921one of the city landmark restaurants that was once the mansion of Soong Mei-ling, one of the famous Soong sisters. It was designed by Lafuente in 1921.
Shasha's Mansion - Source Pinterest
In this period he could also develop his personal reinterpretation of the Mozarab style in several villas and private residences such as the Spanish movie tycoon Antonio Ramos Residence in 1924, known as the Shanghai Alhambra and a resemblance of the businessman origins from the city of Granada in Spain.
Ramos Mansion - Source Plataforma Arquitectura
After these busy years in Shanghai, Lafuente also tried to work in North America during the happy 20s. He managed to build houses in Los Angeles and Tijuana, boosting his business in California and Mexico, while hetried to keep his architecture design office in Shanghai. The economic crisis that followed the crack of 1929 supposed the end of his American adventure. After being affected by the crack and going broke, he decided to return to Shanghai and undertake new projects from his office. During these years he developed some of his celebrated villa projects, like H.H. Kung Mansion, built for one of the richest men in China at that time. Bought in 1945, the villa was decorated in Spanish style, with typical Moorish-Style motifs, carved windows and other elements of Spanish Style influence.
SHANGHAI & THE FIRST CHINESE CINEMAS
If there is one person that boosted Lafuente’s career, we need to mention the Spanish businessman Antonio Ramos, a movie tycoon. After a few years in Manila, the businessman settled in China, where he started projecting movies in Shengping tea shop and some public pavilions. In 1908 he founded the Hongkou Cinema, considered the first cinema in China Mainland and the first cinema in Shanghai, devoted to the projection for commercial purposes and conceived for an audience of 250 people.
Hongkou Cinema - Source Pastvu
The careers of Antonio Ramos and Abelardo Lafuente intersected in Shanghai in these early years of the XX Century, contributing to the development of this new-released cinema industry.
As developed and architect, Antonio Ramos and Abelardo Lafuente developed and built many new cinema salons. The success of the Hongkou cinema allowed the businessman to embark on many other projects. Helped by Lafuente as a designer, he opened the Victoria Cinema for 750 people in 1909 and the Olympic Theatre (Embassy Theatre) in 1914, where 90% of the Chinese cinema productions were released. This luxury theatre was followed by the Empire Theatre, the Carter Theatre and China Cinema.
The entrepreneurship of this Antonio Ramos opened up a golden age for the cinema industry that reached the summit in the 1930s. By that time the French Concession had 33 cinemas showing movies from the golden age of Hollywood. Of these, the Cathay Theatre retains is one of the survivors of that period, keeping the exteriors and showing a fully renovated interior dated in 2003.
Cathay Theater - Source China Film Insider
After trying with the cinema production with the creation of The Ramos Amusement Company, the cinema tycoon abandoned the city in 1927.
Concerning his friend and designer Abelardo Lafuente, the depart of his great friend and benefactor Antonio Rojo supposed the starting of his career decay until his death at the Shanghai General Hospital in 1931, aged 60.
JUAN YRUELA CASTILLO
COOP school Founder and Partner
Master Degree Architect from the Seville Technical University