How Broadway Mansions Might Have Looked

I came across something the other day while putting together the final draft of a short book on the old road names of Shanghai (The Old Shanghai A-Z – out some time in 2010 from Hong Kong University Press). The book should look rather nice with a lot of images and, as well as being hopefully a definitive list of the old and current road names of Shanghai, will have a lot of pictures. Searching through tons of stuff for some good images I wanted one of Broadway Mansion, the iconic art deco building just across the Garden Bridge by Suzhou Creek.Here’s a picture of the building in case you don’t know it:

There are endless stories about Broadway Mansions – it was the home for several years of the Shanghai Foreign Correspondents’ Club (see my Through the Looking Glass book for more on that) as well as being home to a Russian run illegal casino, Japanese officers during the war, American troops after the war etc etc. As far as older buildings go in Shanghai it’s still in pretty good shape and seems to safe from the bulldozers and the bastard urban planners (though never say guaranteed in Shanghai!).

Then I came across this old advert from the Shanghai Land Investment Company (not entirely sure what year this ad was run) announcing that a new development Broadway Mansion is coming. However, the design for the building shown is obviously quite different to what was actually constructed on the site. Still, a very impressive and attractive building though perhaps not as individual as the Broadway Mansions that was eventually built. Anyway, a small point on interest to see what might have gone up on the same spot. No idea why this design wasn’t used or why the one that was…was?

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