ABSTRACT

Shanghai is a vast, sprawling city on the eastern edge of the People’s Republic of China. It is one of the largest cities in the world and a global financial centre, and has a huge container port overlooking the East China Sea. Shanghai has one of the most powerful emerging liberal arts and design sectors in the world. Shanghai has the world’s largest number of Art Deco buildings as a result of the construction boom during the 1920s and 1930s. Shanghai’s interiors are often beautifully detailed, drawing upon the reference from the Chinese traditions of layering and screening to semi-hide and create privacy. As the Chinese have moved from a traditional design aesthetic to a more commercial and Westernised version, there has been much reflection and deliberation as city visually matures and realises the power of design and architecture. The impact on the global interior by Shanghai can be measured by amount of new interior types being completed every month.