Concert hall to close for a face-lift

The 88-year-old Shanghai Concert Hall will close in March 2019 for a facelift, 15 years after it moved to the current site.

The concert hall will reopen in January 2020, it said in a statement.

Over the period, the historical structure will be completely wrapped for repair and maintenance, and the stage facilities will be upgraded as to cater to the higher demand, General Manager Fang Liang told Shanghai Daily.

Further details were not revealed.

Shanghai Concert Hall was built in 1930 as a rare example of city’s Western classical-style building completely designed by Chinese architects. It was originally built as a cinema. In 1959, it was transformed to the country’s first professional concert hall.

In 2003, the 5,650-ton structure was slid 66.46 meters southeast to make way for the construction of the Yan’an Elevated Road. Meanwhile, it underwent an overhaul.

On the new site, it was expanded in size, becoming four times larger than the old one.

The facade was repaired to its original look and the interior was designed with marble pillars, Roman chandeliers and other embellishments that fit the structure’s vintage feeling. Besides, the stage facilities were upgraded.

It reopened in 2004. Over 14 years, more than 500 concerts were staged annually.