This week in Shanghaiist
Just off the northern edge of Fuxing Park, this unusual building was the original French Club (le Cercle Francais Sportif) circa 1904. Later it was moved what is now the Okura Garden Hotel (and much later moved to Cafe Montmartre). For a while this was the French Concession's most prestigious public high school, Le College Francais. You can still see the monogram 'CFS' cast into the wrought-iron railing of the main staircase. There's also some excellent stained-glass in the lobby, which we would have photographed if the security guard wasn't an ass doing his job.
Shanghai's first mayor, Chen Yi (best known for his statue on the Bund that everyone confuses with Mao) converted the space into the Shanghai Science Hall in 1958. What one does in a science hall is anyone's guess. Conferences, research, baking soda volcanoes?
The building is one of many protected heritage sites in Shanghai, which means it's crumbling, could fall down at any moment, and probably hasn't seen a paint job since the Great Leap Forward. Regardless, it's definitely worth a look if you're in the area.
Shanghai Science Hall
59 Nan Chang Road near Yandang Road (南昌路59弄，近雁荡路)
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I'm a fan of that building myself, even though it has been slaughtered with that long veranda thingy they stuck across the front, is that a current photo, is it still on there?
I've always lived around the Xinhua Lu 'conservation' area where it's illegal to alter the outside appearance of old buildings.
Aparantly though, crass concrete extensions painted to look old, high walls that obscure the buildings and neon lights and signs all over the exteriors don't count as altering the appearance of the area.
Yeah, fantastic building with a history to match. Photo of an example of the stained glass, one of them anyhow, can be found here:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/2179942806_19f3554cf8.jpg?v=0
Taken back in 2005 when I covered a lot of Shanghai on foot just to do my exploring. Loved finding this place though as it was tranquil and I guess the security guy was asleep back then as I walked around the whole complex. :)
We shot 6 days there... You'll see it in the movie John Rabe next year! :D