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Laszlo Hudec

László Hudec: Shanghai’s Master Builder

You know Hudec’s buildings: The I.S.S. Building/Normandie (Wukang Apartments), that red brick beauty shaped like a streamlined 1930s cruise ship, where hundreds gather daily, waves beneath the ship, to snap a precious photo. The Park Hotel, the dramatic Art Deco building that was Shanghai’s first skyscraper and tallest ...

Shanghai’s Little White House

They call it the “Little White House,” and it was one of the finest grand mansions of old Shanghai. Still is. Constructed by a company whose buildings would become icons, this gracious belle époque mansion on Fenyang Lu never housed Presidents, but for nearly half a century after it was built, it was the home of men ...

Old Shanghai Cinemas: Insights from a Logbook

by Tess Johnston// Back in 2010, I found in a local antique market an old ledger covered in brown wrapping paper, with a handsomely-penciled inscription on the front: [caption id="attachment_2406" align="aligncenter" width="642"] [Not the actual log book - our artist's impression!][/caption]A Logbook's Insights ...

Cai Zhen: Painter of Old Shanghai

Inspired by her own heritage, Cai Zhen paints the heritage buildings of old Shanghai, bathing them in sunlight and vibrant color. [caption id="attachment_2288" align="alignleft" width="224"] Cai Zhen, self portrait[/caption] We first encountered Madame Cai at an art exhibition featuring the watercolor paintings of architect ...

Inside Old Shanghai’s American Club

This Saturday (Nov 2, 3pm), ahead of the U.S. election, we're taking a stroll through the story of Americans in Old Shanghai. If there had been such a thing as election watch parties in Old Shanghai, they would certainly have been held in the stately American Club. Here's its story, and a peek inside.  To book the walk, ...