| Shanghai: The Architecture of China's Great Urban | | | | New York and a wide variety of architectural styles. |
| Center / by Jay Pridmore (Abrams Books, 2008) | | | | Plenty of traditional Chinese buildings still exist, but |
| Hardcover, 176 p. ISBN 9780810994065 | | | | owing to the pervasive foreign influence, virtually every |
| Shanghai: The Architecture of China's Great Urban | | | | style of both western European, American, and Soviet |
| Center looks at both the past and present architecture | | | | architecture can be found there as well. |
| of this fascinating city. A major Chinese trading center | | | | Today, the world's top architects vie to design |
| since the middle of the eighteenth century, Shanghai | | | | ambitious projects. The juxtaposition of very different |
| attracted international attention during a time when the | | | | styles continues, yet many of the new buildings exhibit |
| Chinese government was weak. As a result of the | | | | the traditional Chinese penchant for ornamentation. |
| First Opium War (1839-1842) Shanghai became one of | | | | One is crowned with a lotus, while another takes the |
| the Chinese cities open to foreign trade. It remained | | | | form of an open orchid. |
| among the most foreign-influenced Chinese cities until | | | | Besides being an informative survey of architectural |
| the Communist takeover in 1949. The central | | | | history, Shanghai: The Architecture of China's Great |
| government again allowed it to participate in economic | | | | Urban Center is profusely illustrated. People who have |
| liberalization beginning in 1991. All of these political and | | | | visited Shanghai will appreciate it for stirring memories |
| economic changes have left their mark on Shanghai's | | | | and perhaps helping to identify buildings in the pictures |
| architecture. | | | | they took. People who have never been there will |
| Beginning at the city's center (the Bund), Jay Pridmore | | | | appreciate both the history and the beauty of the |
| survey's the city's architectural richness moving | | | | photography. The All-Purpose Guru Alert features |
| through the financial district (the Pudong), the old | | | | one carefully chosen title like this every day at bargain |
| downtown (the Puxi), to the outlying areas. Shanghai, | | | | prices. Stop by often. |
| now China's largest city, has more sky-scrapers than | | | | |