SHANGHAI From Modernism To Modernity

Following an historic perspective the book outlines different architectural trends flourishing in Shanghai during the first half of the XX century and introduces some of the major personalities who contributed to such development. It also discusses what may be the relevance and the status of such architectural heritage in today’s newly redesigned metropolis. The text is illustrated by 193 pictures. Before 1949 East and West met intensely in Shanghai, creating an extraordinary cultural hybrid. In this context the first prototypes of Chinese modernity were forged. In the field of architecture, particularly during the period between the two World Wars, a vast and distinctive Art Deco landscape materialized. Modernism became a fertile platform for experimenting with a common aesthetic language suitable for both cultures.