Perspective of Modern Shanghai Architecture

Author: Shen Fuxu, Shen Xiaogui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-04-01
Features: The main focus of this book is culture rather than pure architectural history; however, it has direct or indirect effects on both history and architectural history. As mentioned earlier, cultural history and architectural cultural history should be given importance. Architecture is a form of culture, for example, a cinema can also be seen as a "container" or "manifestation" of film culture. Film is a young art form of culture, born in 1895, and ten years later, China also had films. Later, it transitioned from silent to sound (1927) and from black and white to color (1935), and the history of film culture is also reflected in the architectural imagery of cinemas. Shanghai's cinemas not only emerged early but also had an astonishing number. In terms of architectural forms, they are incredibly diverse, including Western classical styles, Western modern styles, and more. Shanghai's cinemas not only reflect the modern culture of Shanghai but also the film culture of Shanghai and even the entire country. Modern Shanghai, if calculated from the time of its opening as a port in the mid-19th century to the founding of the People's Republic of China in the mid-20th century, is roughly a hundred years. In the grand context of human history, this can only be considered a fleeting moment; yet, moving from antiquity to modernity was precisely this century. Through their physical forms, buildings have narrated and truly preserved this precious century of history. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, this is a true history of modern Shanghai, and it can even be said to be a history of modern China. Of course, it is impossible and unnecessary to comprehensively record all the modern buildings of Shanghai in a book with limited scope. We have strived to record various types of buildings, including those in terms of function and form, and through these typical buildings, we analyze modern Shanghai culture. This book not only records the important modern buildings of Shanghai but also emphasizes their analysis from a cultural perspective, which undoubtedly benefits architecture today and tomorrow, as well as the entire culture of Shanghai. Of course, this book can only be considered an attempt, and there will inevitably be many shortcomings or imperfections, so we also hope that experts and readers will provide valuable suggestions from all aspects to make it more perfect.