In the year 1930, when the real estate prices in Shanghai were soaring, this downtown lot became the most expensive urban land anywhere in Asia (per square foot). It was at the southwestern corner of Central Road and Ezra Road, inside the block known as the Central Arcade. This is where Taylor Garage obtained the lease in May 1930 to build its ( Read more... )

This blog rarely concerns itself with current events, but in view of the bancruptcy of the historic travel firm Thomas Cook, let's look at Thomas Cook and Sons premises in old Shanghai. The travel agency had a prime spot in the Central Arcade, right at the corner of Nanking Road and Szechuen Road. The Shanghai branch of Thomas Cook and Sons first ( Read more... )

1937. The sandbagged building in the center is the Overseas Chinese Banking Corp., to the left of it is a large parking lot, then goes the Ezra Building, and in distance, past the intersection with Kiangse Road, is the Sassoon Building (with the rounded corner):

( Read more... )

There has been a lot of vigorous renovation in the blocks near the Bund, and much of it includes complete destruction of historic architecture. This is Ezra Building (新康大楼), on the northeast corner of Jiangxi Road and Jiujiang Road, photographed by Thomas Struth in 1996 (it's on the left):

( Read more... )

In this article - Central Arcade through the decades ( Read more... )