Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Interior of the Grand Theatre
David Shen Kai/Apa Publications
West), the 24-storey Hudec masterpiece that inspired architect IM Pei during his 1940s child-
hood. Built in 1934 for the Joint Savings Society, it was Shanghai's tallest and most ad-
vanced building until the 1980s. Designed in art deco style and clad in dark Taishan brick,
this pioneering deluxe hotel once featured a rooftop nightclub overlooking the Shanghai
Racecourse. Sepia-tinted photos of those halcyon days hang around the second-floor history
gallery. In 1957, the rooftop flagpole was classified as Shanghai's official geographical
centre. Sadly, little of the original Art Deco interior survives.
Better to venture into the
Grand Cinema
216 Nanjing Road West) next door, also Hudec's
handiwork, to see its lively Art Deco lobby. Originally opened in 1933 and named the Grand
Theatre, the 2,000-seat cinema was the finest of its time in China. For a glimpse of its past,
the History Walk (entrance at 248 Nanjing Road West; no charge) tells the Grand's often
controversial history through photos, newspaper ads and movie clips.
