The Peace Hotel is originally named the Sassoon House, built be British-Jewish businessman Sir Victor Sassoon. At the time of its construction, it was one of the tallest buildings in the Eastern Hemisphere. Because Sassoon’s business is mostly based in East Asia, the building still bears strong marks of European aesthetics, establishing Western dominance on the Bund. However, as is the littoral space itself, the Peace Hotel is never truly British, or even entirely Western, even in its early days. (what argument could be made, if so?)
The outside of the hotel, as can be seen on the photo, is strongly influenced by the Art Deco movement that was popular in the late 19thand early 20thcentury. The base of the outside façade is made from granite bricks, a common element in Art Deco buildings. The windows and exterior walls are lined with geometric lines and shapes. Most prominent in the building is the bright green 19-meter high pinnacle on top of the building. The pinnacle and its surrounding ridges are in the Gothic Revival style, sought to introduce key elements of the medieval Gothic style with modern craftsmanship. The Gothic element here is a pointed pinnacle instead of rounded dome as the highest point of the building, while the Art Deco element provide the vivid green color, therefore showcasing different styles on the same building. (what does the detailed deco indicate or support for?)
The eclecticism extends to the interior of the building, where Sassoon built nine suites with themes of nine different countries: Germany, Japan, France, Great Britain, China, United States, India, Spain, and Italy, (again what does the architecture indicate) the most luxurious one being the English suite, inhabited by Sir Victor Sassoon himself. In these nine countries, Sassoon included both European countries and Asian countries. This illustrates his desire to unite the aesthetics both from around his home country and from other places he might call home. This is especially true for the Chinese suite because there is rarely anything in the traditional Chinese style on the Bund, ironically. Sassoon manages to make this littoral space even more international and eclectic through the suites in different styles. (if this is the argument, then introduce it at the beginning of the paragraph)
Even the residents of the Peace Hotel underline the specialness of the stylistic amalgam of the interior and exterior of the building. Among its most celebrated guests are George Marshall, Sun Zhongshan, Charlie Chaplin, George Bernard Shaw, Queen Elizabeth, President George H. W. Bush, and so many more. From this list of notable guests, it is clear that the Peace Hotel is not only a politically significant hotel in Shanghai, but also attracts actors, writers, and elites from all walks of life. (again what does this say?) On top of that, all of those guests can find a piece of their home in the hotel, whether it be a piece of furniture or decoration.
Another key feature among the peoples of the Peace Hotel is the Jazz Band. Comprised of a group of local Shanghainese men above the age of 75, the band plays classical “old Shanghai” Jazz numbers every night. Jazz music, originated from the US, is combined with Chinese lyrics praising the beauty of Shanghai. The songs are played by old gentlemen who have lived their whole life in Shanghai, with instruments imported from Europe. This performance becomes a unique feature of Shanghai because it illustrates how Shanghai has taken in different cultural identities through trade in the littoral area. The new and unique treaty port culture is formed upon this merging of different cultures.