Historic Bund building to become art center and offices
The Jinyan Mansion hides behind some trees.
An old building on the Bund is being renovated into an art exhibition center and high-end office building.
The Jinyan Mansion at 8 Zhongshan No.2 Road S. will be developed into the Bund International Financial and Art Center, and is expected to open to public by the end of the year, according to Dobe Group, the developer of the project.
The site has a lot of history — over a century ago it was the cruise terminal for passengers travelling between Shanghai and Paris. Also at the site, Charles de Montigny, the first consul general of France to Shanghai, signed an agreement with a former city official to establish the French concession in 1849.
The five-story center covers 6,000 square meters, with the inner structure being revamped while most historic decorations and the facade will be preserved, Chen Jun, general manager with the project said.
Decoration has been completed on the entrance and ground floor of the Bund International Financial and Art Center.
The decoration will take a French architectural style, and artists from China and Italy will be invited to jointly create a painting on the dome at the entrance. Many antique exhibits, including a historic piano and an old bicycle, will be displayed in the building.
More than 20 modern paintings are being exhibited on the ground floor where the inner decoration is nearing completion.
In terms of future development, a communal café and library have been designed for white-collar workers in the building to enjoy, Chen said.
Also on the Bund area, the former site of Carlowitz & Co on 168 Jiujiang Road has been redeveloped into a shared office space.
It has become a trend for developers to turn historic and industrial downtown buildings into offices or cultural venues, adding nostalgic flavor to modern workplaces and venues.
The inner decoration of the Jinyan Mansion features a French architectural style and classic local decorations.
