ARCHIVE № 001
HSBC Building, the Bund
The largest bank building in the Far East at its completion, and the crowning work of classical architecture on the Bund
A Neoclassical bank building completed in 1923, hailed at its opening as the largest bank building in the Far East; the mosaic murals under its dome and the bronze lions at its entrance are among the most recognizable images of the Bund.
- Former names
- Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building, Shanghai Municipal People's Government Building
- Also known as
- Municipal Government Building
The record
- Completed
- 1923
- Begun
- 1921
- Architect
- George L. Wilson
- Architecture firm
- Palmer & Turner
- Developer
- 香港上海汇丰银行
- Contractor
- 德罗·考尔洋行
- Style
- Neoclassicism
- Structure
- Steel-frame structure faced with granite
- Storeys
- 5 storeys (7 in the central dome section)
- Type
- Bank & Finance
- District
- Huangpu
- Address
- 10-12 East Zhongshan Road No. 1
- Historic area
- The Bund Historic Area
- Heritage listing no.
- 1A003
- Coordinates
- 31.238056, 121.485556
- Shanghai Heritage ArchitectureBatch 1 · Listed 1989
- Shanghai Municipal Heritage SiteListed 1989
- Major National Historical and Cultural SiteBatch 4 · Listed 1996
Timeline
- 1874
First Building Completed
HSBC completed a three-storey Renaissance-style building on the site as the home of its Shanghai branch.
- 1921
Foundation Laid for the New Building
Construction began on the new building designed by Palmer & Turner, with Trollope & Colls as contractor.
- 1923
Building Completed and Opened
The new building was completed and became the home of HSBC's Shanghai branch, hailed as the largest bank building in the Far East.
- 1955
HSBC Moved Out
HSBC moved out, and the building was handed over to the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.
- 1996
Listed as a Nationally Protected Site
Included with the Bund ensemble in the fourth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.
- 1997
SPD Bank Moved In and Renovated
Shanghai Pudong Development Bank acquired the right to use the building; during renovation the painted-over dome murals were rediscovered.
Uses over time
- Historic uses
- Shanghai branch of HSBC (1923-1955)
- Offices of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government (1955-1995)
- Today
- Head office of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
Visiting
Open to the public
Free guided visits by reservation; tours are offered on weekdays, covering the octagonal entrance hall with its dome mosaics and the marble columns, among other areas. Reservations must be made through Shanghai Pudong Development Bank's official channels.
- the Bund
- Neoclassicism
- Palmer & Turner
- bronze lions
- Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
FIRST EDITION · VOLUME ONE
Read the full chapter in the app
The full history, a close reading of the architecture, and the people and city stories behind it are all in the Shanghai Architecture Archive for iOS.
Sources
- 上海市优秀历史建筑名录（第一批，1989年公布）Official register
- 汇丰银行大楼 (上海)Wikipedia
- HSBC Building, the BundWikipedia
- HSBC Building - Wikidata (Q213087)Wikidata
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