Repainting of 'weird' 80s building causes controversy
The 24-story East China Electrical Power Building is partially repainted in "flesh-pink" that is said to “disrespect” the original designers’ intent.
An ongoing painting project upon a modern high-rise on Nanjing Road has aroused complaints from local architects who hope to protect the structure that once won many architectural awards.
The 24-floor East China Electrical Power Building, built in 1988 at 201 Nanjing Road E., is known as the first "skyscraper" on the commercial road and famous for its "weird" modern appearance.
The building's relatively young age meant it failed to become listed among the city's legally protected historic structures, but any attempt to renovate or alter its appearance would arouse public controversy due to its architectural significance.
In 2015, an attempt to turn the building into an art deco hotel triggered outrage that led to a drastic change of plans. Ultimately only the inner structure was adjusted while the building's original appearance remained. The Shanghai Edition hotel opened in June this year.
This time, the current owner of the building began repainting the outside in a brighter color from the original brown last week.
Part of the structure has been painted with the new color because the hotel operator thought the original color looked "old," according to Shandong-based real estate and new energy developer Luneng Group.
The Architectural Society of Shanghai then lodged a complaint, calling for immediate suspension of the "damaging behavior."
"Such behavior is absurd and ridiculous. It is desecration of an outstanding piece of architecture and disrespect to the architects," the association said on its official WeChat account.
"The building must be well-protected due to its important status as one of Shanghai's earliest skyscrapers, its unique design and prominent location," the association said.
Built on a small site, the building is shaped like a giant cube with a protruding part on the 21st floor. It also features a tower structure over the top and sloping roof, all of which were bold, innovative treatments back in the late 1980s. It was designed by two Chinese architects, Luo Xinyang and Qin Yong, both graduates of Tongji University.
It was recognized as one of “Shanghai’s 10 Best Buildings” in 1989, a “Shanghai Classic Building” in 1999, and the won a big award for creative design from the Architectural Society of China in 2009.
The Shanghai Urban Planning and Natural Resources Administration, the city's top urban planner, has begun investigating the case. The administration has forwarded the case to its landscape protection office to further study the following measures, an official with the administration told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
The city has regulations to protect listed historical structures from unauthorized painting or renovation.
In a previous incident, a century-old building on 102 Guangdong Road in the Bund area, for instance, was covered with harmful chemical paint during unauthorized preservation work in 2015. The tenant of the building was later ordered to restore the original appearance.
