Notes on taking photos of the Bund buildings in Shanghai (Part 1)

I remember reading this sentence somewhere: Architecture is solidified music, and architecture is a history book made of stone. This sentence has been fully confirmed in the Shanghai Bund, known as the "Architecture Expo of All Nations". When I came to the Bund in Shanghai, from Bund 1 to Bund 33, I saw their tall and straight figures or their slim and graceful figures, their flowing water or their rough and bold lines, their simple and lively or their gorgeous and complicated carvings. It was really like Listening to the beautiful music that is either light or soothing, you will never forget to leave. At the same time, every building here is a piece of history. The changes in their functions and the similarities and differences in architectural styles all tell the story of the changes in the Bund.

The current name of the Bund is Zhongshan East 1st Road, starting from Yan'an East Road in the south, to Waibaidu Bridge in the north, from No. 1 Zhongshan East 1st Road to No. 33 Zhongshan East 1st Road (actually I haven't quite figured it out yet, some There are 3 house numbers in the building competition, so there are not 33 buildings from 1 to 33). There are many architectural styles such as classical architecture, neoclassical architecture, art deco architecture, eclecticism, etc. I took pictures of them all. ***26 buildings. Below, let us briefly understand the past and present of each building and the style characteristics of each building.

One on the Bund

People are accustomed to calling One on the Bund Asia Tower.

It was invested by MacBeth Company in 1913 and completed in 1916 with a reinforced concrete structure. It was originally leased for a long time by the British Asia Oil Company, so it was called the Asia Building. Since 1996, the headquarters of China Pacific Insurance Company has settled here.

The building is in neoclassical style (some say eclectic style), and the exterior also has Baroque decoration. The exterior facade adopts a three-section horizontal and three-section vertical composition. The first and second floors of the exterior wall are built with granite-faced bricks to form the base. There are doors in the east and south. The main entrance in the east has four Ionic columns, two on the left and right. The inner door has small Doric columns and a semicircular carved top. There are balconies in the recessed part in the middle of the third to fifth floors, and Ionic columns on the sixth and seventh floors. The overall building is majestic, luxurious and elegant.

No. 2 on the Bund

The original Shanghai General Building was built in 1911 with a reinforced concrete structure. It was a famous club at the time. It later transformed into the Sailors Club and then incarnated again. The Dongfeng Hotel is now the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The building is in neoclassical style, with a three-section composition on the front facade. There are six Ionic columns running through the two floors in the middle, and there are Baroque towers at the north and south ends on the fifth floor. What amazes me the most is the plant decorations on the window lintels and walls. They are complex, exquisite and impressive.

No. 3 on the Bund

The order of the building is a bit special. Facing the Bund is No. 3 Zhongshan East 1st Road, and the stone carving is No. 4 Zhongshan East 1st Road.

It was originally a favorable building that was used by the Shanghai Civil Architectural Design Institute. It is now a high-end shopping and consumption place.

The building was constructed from 1916 to 1918 and is one of the earliest steel frame structures in Shanghai.

No. 3 on the Bund is an eclectic architectural style. The facade is decorated in three sections, with cornices, columns, and coupons also decorated in Baroque style, and the top is a Baroque pavilion.

No. 5 on the Bund

No. 5 on the Bund was built from 1921 to 1925 with a reinforced concrete frame structure. Originally the Nissin Building, it was once used by the Maritime Administration and is now a high-end restaurant.

The building is in the classical style, a building that combines Japanese modern Western architecture with the classical architectural style. The facade has a three-section composition, all of which are made of granite. The overall appearance has few decorations and looks simple and dignified.

No. 6 on the Bund

No. 6 on the Bund was built in 1897 with a brick and wood structure. It is one of the oldest existing buildings on the Bund. It was originally an auction house, then the China Commercial Bank, and then used by the Yangtze River Steamship Company. It is now a high-end shopping and consumption place.

The building is in Gothic Revival style. There is a beautiful arcade at the entrance. The window openings on each floor adopt pointed windows, flat windows, curved windows and semi-circular windows from top to bottom. The overall appearance Beautiful and smart.

No. 7 on the Bund

No. 7 on the Bund has also changed owners many times. It was originally owned by the Great Northern Telegraph Company. Later, it was used by China Commercial Bank and Yangtze River Shipping Company. It is now Bangkok, Thailand. Bank Shanghai Branch. Built from 1906 to 1907, it is a brick-concrete structure.

The building is in French Renaissance style, with a facade divided into three sections horizontally and vertically, decorated with a large number of Greek Ionic columns, and a pair of Baroque black domes on both sides of the top, which is dignified and elegant. The most distinctive feature of No. 7 on the Bund is the crimson roc with human body and bird wings on the lintel, which has become the distinctive symbol of No. 7 on the Bund.

To be continued