Category: visual analysis #3

Number 19 on the Bund was originally built as The Palace Hotel, designed by British architect Walter Scott. The Palace Hotel represents the Colonial history of Shanghai’s Bund and its transition into the global and modernized city it is today.

The Hotel was originally constructed during a time when the Shanghai Bund was divided amongst the various colonial powers. Constructed by a British architect, the building served as a representation of British power. This British architectural influence can be seen in the façade of the building, which features many windows as well as Victorian style ornamentation and turrets. The material stood out on the Bund because it was one of the only buildings that featured, and still features, color with a red and white exterior. Two distinguishing elements of the hotel were its rooftop deck, which was rich with greenery and featured a view of the Bund, and having the first elevator in the city. Both of these elements served as representations of the British wealth, power and superiority. (how does the  list of the architectural elements stand for “British Power?” for instance, why the windows or victorian ornamentation reflect the power of British empire?)

The building then fell into the hands of the Japanese during WWII. Not much is known about this period of time because the Chinese do not want historical reports of a time when Japan was in control. After the war, the hotel became the Peace Hotel South Building and lived in the shadow of the real Peach Hotel (number 20). It was only recently that the Hotel finally regained an identity of its own (please define what is the “identity of its own).

In 2010, the Hotel renovated it’s interior in order to function as an Artists and Residence named The Swatch Art Peace Hotel. Hotel rooms were converted into dual-functioning studios and apartments for the artists to both live and do art. The residency is free to the artists, and they are only asked to leave a “trace” of what they do during their time there. Since its opening, the hotel has hosted over 250 artists and has built an art collection of over 300 “traces” and 50 donated pieces. (the significance of the transition from a hotel to artists residence?)

Overall, the hotel represents the transition of the Bund from colonial concession through WWII, through a period of rebuilding and then into the modern day. Today, the Bund is a symbol of capitalism, with many of its buildings occupied by banks. The Swatch Art Peace Hotel, however, brings a unique new culture to the Bund. A free Artists and Residence is not the product of capitalism, but rather a new Shanghai that in addition to its capitalist roots, values culture. Therefore, the hotel represents the beginning of a new phase of the city that is striving to match Beijing and other cultural hubs by creating space for art and artists amidst its financial global significance. (incorporation of this paragraph to the previous one will strengthen the issue of transition)

 

Citation: Qiao, Michelle. “Palace Hotel reigned over city’s most famous road” (2017) https://archive.shine.cn/feature/Palace-Hotel-reigned-over-citys-most-famous-road/shdaily.shtml

https://www.swatch-art-peace-hotel.com/building

Since its construction in 1923 on the Bund, Building 12 has been occupied by different powers from its original owner the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Corporation to the current possessor the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. Designed by the British architecture firm Palmer & Turner Architects and Surveyors, the HSBC Building is a bright pearl on the Bund. This article will explore the architecture’s site, scale, and ornamental compositions, which contribute to the banking power and commercial function of HSBC. 

The HSBC Building located next to the Custom House in the center of the Bund, yet the building’s scale is not inferior (rather ….) compared to its neighbor. The strategic place allows HSBC to fully exploit its commercial function. Since the businessmen on the Bund would have to cooperate with the ICMCS office in the Custom House, there is an increased chance for them to walk pass by the HSBC Building after finishing the document in the Custom House. In this way, the likelihood to receive deposits is higher for the bank as it gains this prime location. Appreciating the two buildings from the Pudong side of the river, one will notice that the HSBC Building as a focal point is even more significant than the Custom House. This magnificent scale is established by the building’s elongated and horizontal layout compared to its neighbors’ narrow and vertical style. This horizontal layout indicates HSBC gained the advantage over other powers to not only have access to the water but also have the widest space coverage on the Bund. The supreme site and the remarkable size of the building both signify HSBC’s dominating power on the Bund in the early twentieth century.

The architecture’s exterior decoration and material further strengthen the opulence of HSBC, which contributes to the bank’s credibility among its customers. The HSBC Building takes the neoclassicist style but with six ionic columns as decoration in the center of the architecture. These ionic columns are imitation of Greek temples, symbolizing the Greek Revival style, which was the most popular architectural trend around the world at that time. By displaying this latest trend on its headquarters, HSBC demonstrates its progressive attitude and advanced power (how and why the greek revival style would reinforce the banking credibility). The material for this building is granite bricks, which is named as the “king of architecture material”, also used for the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Beijing. In this way, the architectural material granite itself speaks for the monumentality (yes, but why) of the HSBC Building. 

Taking a closer perspective of the HSBC Building, the delicate and luxurious ornaments highlight the firmly established status of the bank. A conspicuous decoration next to the gate of the building is the pair of bronze lions. These two lions take different postures as one appears to be fierce and roaring in comparison to the other’s calm and peaceful gesture. According to the traditional Chinese belief of applying Feng Shui into architectural design, these lions represent both security and protection for the bank (introduce the topical claim at the beginning of the paragraph). This implicit meaning reflects the HSBC’s function of protecting and securing customers’ wealth. The intricately designed dome features with frescos of the eight cities that HSBC had branches, including Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, etc. These frescos enhance HSBC’s credibility to its clients as its power spreads across the globe.

The HSBC Building earns its reputation as journalists once described it as “the most luxurious building between the Suez Canal and the Bering Strait.” The site, scale, and intricately designed ornaments on the HSBC Building persuasively articulate the power of HSBC and its commercial significance.

Citation: Xin, Xu. “A Gem in the History of Chinese Architecture: Bund 12.” Journal of Property Management Vol. 78, Issue 3 (May, 2013). https://go.gale.com/ps/i.dop=AONE&u=brun62796&id=GALE%7CA331486694&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon