The Worrying Future of Shanghai’s Old Race Club Building

News from Shanghai that should concern anyone with an interest in heritage – the old Race Club building which then became the Shanghai Library and then, more recently, the Shanghai Museum of Modern Art is soon to be vacated by the museum. What will become of it is far from certain. Though the building has been bashed about a fair bit the exterior still loves beautiful (especially in comparison to the horrific fascistic stylings of the  JW Marriot Hotel and the uninspired Ciro’s Plaza that sit opposite it) it does retain some original interior features including some nice staircases.  Technically it is designated as a historic landmark but we know all too well the meaningless value of such designations and supposed protections in Shanghai. See here a more detailed article from Bill Savadove on the old building.

in its 1930s heyday…

and today.