Hall's concerted efforts
(JOSHUA SHI)
08/02/2002
Recent media coverage of the shifting of Shanghai Concert Hall to the south by 100 metres has captured public attention.The concert hall was originally called Nanking Theatre and was completed in 1930 on Avenue Edward VII, now Yan'an Donglu. It is a classical Western theatre. Its elegant, artistic facade; light tone; and varied and delicate decorations match its function as a concert hall perfectly. The land of Nanking Theatre was originally a cemetery of the Chaozhou Guild. In 1929, the land was leased to build a theatre which was designed by two Chinese men - Zhao Shen and Fan Wenzhao. It is a fine example of Chinese architects designing a classical Western building. When it was completed in 1930, it was the best theatre in Shanghai. Even the New York Times wrote a story and compared it to the best theatres in the United States. Built on 1,381 square metres of land, the graceful building has a total space of 3,800 square metres on four floors. The elegant Ionic pillars, the beautiful relief in the facade, the marble interior walls and many other meticulous details all survive till today. The theatre has 1,500 seats in total. One of the notable things is the floor, made from a special synthetic material that looks firm, but is springy and sound absorbing. On March 25, 1930, the theatre had its formal opening premiering the Hollywood movie Broadway. In the 1930s when American films were all the rage in Shanghai, Shanghai people had the choice of a number of top cinemas that included Nanking Theatre, Grand Cinema, Cathay and Lyceum. The theatre was chosen for the premier of "Tarzan of the Apes", with a 10-foot-tall painted plywood image of Tarzan, with Jane slung crossed his shoulder. For several months, the theatre held a record for filling the house. In 1950, Nanking Theatre was renamed Beijing Cinema and in 1959 it was changed to Shanghai Concert Hall. For decades, the noise and emission from busy traffic of Yan'an Donglu has greatly polluted the concert hall and tarnished its beauty. The removal project, priced at 50 million yuan, is expected to be completed next July. By then, the concert hall will be the only building inside the third phase of Yan'an Donglu greenland. It will be surrounded by lush trees and the concert hall will be an exclusive place for Western classical music, which matches its architecture.
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