Shanghai Exhibition Centre

Shanghai Exhibition Centre
上海展览中心 (Chinese)
Former names	Sino-Soviet Friendship Building
Alternative names	Shanghai Exhibition Hall
General information
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Location	Shanghai, China
Current tenants	Shanghai Exhibition Centre
Construction started	4 May 1954
Completed	5 March 1955
Client	Municipality of Shanghai
Height	110.4 metres

The Shanghai Exhibition Centre (Chinese: 上海展览中心; pinyin: Shànghǎi Zhǎnlǎn Zhōngxīn) or the Shanghai Exhibition Hall (Chinese: 上海展览馆; pinyin: Shànghǎi Zhǎnlǎn Guǎn; Shanghainese: Zånhae Zuelae Gue) is an exhibition and convention centre in central Shanghai, China. The building was built in 1955 as the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building (Chinese: 中苏友好大厦) to commemorate the alliance between China and the Soviet Union, a name by which many locals still refer to the building. Reflecting its original name, the design draws heavily on Russian and Empire style neoclassical architecture with Stalinist neoclassical innovations.

The building is a major landmark in Shanghai. At 93,000 square metres, it is one of the largest integrated building complexes in central Shanghai by footprint. At 110.4 metres (to top of spire), it was for decades (1955–1988) the tallest building in Shanghai. Its main frontage, an open quadrangle with an elaborate central tower, faces Yan'an Road, today the main east-west artery across central Shanghai, while its secondary façade, a colonnade, faces West Nanjing Road, one of the premier retail and commercial streets of Shanghai.

The Shanghai Exhibition Centre stands on the site of early 20th century magnate Silas Aaron Hardoon's home, Aili Garden, but more commonly known as "Hardoon Garden". Hardoon used his influences and positions in both the Shanghai International Settlement and Shanghai French Concession to buy up this large lot in what was even then becoming prime real estate in the city, and began building his residence in 1904. Completed in 1910 and expanded in 1919, Hardoon Garden was for a long time Shanghai's largest and most elaborate private garden. By the time of Hardoon's death in 1931, the garden included within its grounds a theatre, a pagoda, a stone boat, a school, a university and an academy of classical Chinese language and culture. Hardoon's wife Liza went into seclusion after Hardoon's death, and the garden became neglected. Liza died in 1941 and was buried in the garden. Later that year, with the outbreak of the Pacific War, Hardoon Garden was occupied by the Japanese army until the end of the war.

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