Shanghai Art Museum
Encyclopedia
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is located in the former clubhouse building of the Shanghai Race Club Today, it is the home of the Shanghai biennial and stands adjacent to People's Square
People's Square (Shanghai)
People's Square is a large public square adjacent to Nanjing Road in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. People's Square is the site of Shanghai's municipal government headquarter building, and is used as the standard reference point for measurement of distance in the Shanghai...
. It sits on the edge of People’s Square, which was once the Shanghai Horse Racing course.
History
The building was constructed in 1933, as the clubhouse for the Shanghai Race ClubShanghai Race Club
The Shanghai Race Club was the original horse racing organization for Shanghai, China.When the first horse race meeting in Shanghai took place during 1848 the Shanghai Race Club was known as the Race Committee of the Shanghai Recreation Club. In 1855 it became a Club. In 1862 it detached itself...
race course. The horse race course was reputed to be the third most profitable industry during the 1930s (during the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
era).
In March 1934 the new Shanghai Race Club building opened. The grandstand was thought at the time to be the largest in the world, and probably was, while the Race Club, with its marble staircases, teak-panelled rooms, oak parquet floors, and its coffee room which was 100ft by 47ft with a huge fireplace, must certainly ranked as the sumptuous club of its kind yet built in any country. China Races, Coates
In 1955, the building was renovated and a terrace was constructed on the roof. The goal was mainly to enable the architects to build wider stairs leading to the clock tower, so that youth can easily visit the tower.
The building has one of the most prominent clock towers in the city after the Customs House
Customs House, Shanghai
The Customs House is an eight storey building on the Bund, Shanghai. Built in 1927, the building remains a customs house today. Together with the neighbouring HSBC Building, the Customs House is seen as one of the symbols of the Bund and Shanghai.-History:The Shanghai Customs House was first set...
clock tower on the Bund
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District...
. The clock tower at the Art Museum has historically been associated with decay and corruption in the city, as it was often inaccurate. However, it was renovated in 2006 and has been accurate since then.
The Art Museum is located on the Nanjing Road. It occupies an area of 2200 sq m. It is open from 9.00 AM to 16.00 PM.
Since the early 1940s, the communists have built an extensive network of underground tunnels in the area. The tunnels under the art museum building still exist today. It connects to the Marriott hotel across the street, West Nanjing Road. On the top of the Art Museum is the Kathleen's 5 restaurant, a well-known restaurant in the city. Furthermore, the back road had to be refortified in 2005 since the food delivery trucks for Kathleen's 5 were heavy enough to crush the concrete pavement into the tunnels.
Events
Shanghai Art Museum is the home to the Shanghai BiennaleShanghai Biennale
The Shanghai Biennale is the highest-profile contemporary art event in the city and the most established art biennale in China.Aside from its main museum show, it also includes talks, lectures and installations in various venues throughout the city....
, which started from 1996.
The Shanghai Biennale is considered one of the most important cultural events in Shanghai.
External links
31.232615°N 121.466209°W