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December 19, 2018

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Power tower face-lift enrages city architects

Ongoing painting work on a modern high-rise on Nanjing Road has drawn protests from local architects who want to protect a structure that once won many architectural awards.

The 24-floor East China Electrical Power Building, built in 1988, was the first skyscraper on the road and is famous for its striking appearance.

Relatively young, the building is not on the city’s protection list, but has great architectural significance in the minds of many citizens.

In 2015, an attempt to turn it into an art deco hotel triggered an outcry that led to a drastic change of plans protecting the external appearance. The hotel opened in June.

Unexpected repainting, replacing the original brown with a bright flesh color, began last week. The hotel operator thought the original color looked “old,” according to owners, the Luneng Group.

The Architectural Society of Shanghai has lodged a fierce complaint, demanding immediate suspension of the “damage.”

“Such behavior is absurd and ridiculous. It is the desecration of an outstanding piece architecture and disrespect to the architects,” the association said via its WeChat account.

“The building must be protected due to its status as one of Shanghai’s earliest skyscrapers, its unique design and prominent location.”

The building’s protruding 21st floor, tower and sloping roof were bold, innovative treatments back in the late 1980s. Its triangular windows were inspired by old Shanghai dormer windows, and pentagonal windows echo the Gothic arched windows of the nearby Bund.

The Urban Planning and Natural Resources Administration has sent the case to its landscape protection office for further study, an official told Shanghai Daily yesterday.




 

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