Shanghai is emerging as a top design hub, if recent developments are anything to go by. Tthe Chinese city hosted the first edition of international trade show Design Shanghai in February, which turned out to be wildly successful, attracting over 47,000 visitors. And recently, there’s Hengshan Fang, a newly restored landmark that combines the charm of old Shanghai with modern design.
Located in the city’s burgeoning Xujiahui central business district, the landmark was a former residential community constructed during the 1930s and 40s. Today, its western-style garden houses have been converted into boutique retail shops, while its alleyway houses have been repurposed as office spaces, art galleries and restaurants (think of it our Serangoon Gardens or Chinatown). Despite the modern touches to the restored space, the character and architectural heritage of its old houses have been largely preserved.
Expect an interesting mix of boutique retailers, international restaurants and cultural enterprises, including New York’s Grimaldi’s Pizzeria (one of NYC’s most popular pizzeria brands), Purple Roof Art Gallery (which has organized several art fairs and public art events in Beijing and Shanghai) and Aida Coffee (a high-profile coffee chain from Austria). And as if the shops don’t satisfy your whims, there’s also the adjacent Xujiahui district—it’s a veritable shopper’s paradise with a plethora of malls like Metro City and Grand Gateway.
