Imagine the grand Sino-Soviet Friendship Building rising before you. This is the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Its history is rich. It reflects Shanghai’s ever-changing identity.
The Shanghai Exhibition Centre stands as a landmark in central Shanghai. It is located on Yan’an Road. This road is the main east-west artery across central Shanghai. The Centre’s secondary facade faces West Nanjing Road. This is one of Shanghai’s premier retail streets.
Originally built in 1955, the Shanghai Exhibition Centre was first known as the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building. It was built to celebrate the alliance between China and the Soviet Union. Many locals still call it by its original name. The design reflects Russian and Empire style neoclassical architecture. It also shows Stalinist neoclassical innovations.
Before the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, this location was home to Hardoon Garden. Silas Aaron Hardoon was a magnate of Jewish descent. His garden was Shanghai’s largest private garden. It had a theatre, pagoda and school.
After Hardoon’s death, the garden fell into disrepair. The Chinese Communist Party took over Shanghai in 1949. They decided to build an exhibition center to honor the Soviet Union.
Construction started in 1954. The Shanghai Exhibition Centre was completed in 1955. The Soviet exhibition showcased their economic and cultural achievements.
The Shanghai Exhibition Centre became a vital space. It hosted political meetings. It even served as Shanghai’s municipal parliament building until 2011. For decades, it was Shanghai’s tallest building at 110.4 metres.
In 1968, amid the Sino-Soviet split, its name changed to the Shanghai Exhibition Hall. Later, in 1984, it officially became the Shanghai Exhibition Centre.
The centre was renovated in 2011. The renovation upgraded its facilities. Exhibition space was concentrated in the south. Conference space was put in the north.
The central tower is the focal point of the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. It was modeled after Saint Petersburg’s Admiralty Building. A domed central foyer connects the building’s three wings. These wings once housed the Agriculture Hall and the Culture Hall. They now provide exhibition space.
Inside, artwork commissioned by the Shanghai Art Association once adorned the building. The central spire has a red star. It is similar to those on the Kremlin. Originally, a sculpture of a Chinese worker and a Russian worker stood at the base. It was removed after the Sino-Soviet split. Now, a bronze statue of a worker stands there.
Today, the Shanghai Exhibition Centre still hosts exhibitions and trade shows. The Shanghai Exhibition Centre remains a prestigious downtown address. It stands as a testament to Shanghai’s dynamic past. It is easily recognizable in Shanghai’s landscape. It stands as a landmark. Its distinctive architecture marks it out.