The Shanghai hotel built in 1934 as a landmark of Art Deco architecture is Park Hotel.
Known originally as the Shanghai Joint Savings Society Building, Park Hotel was designed by Hungarian-Slovak architect László Hudec. Construction finished in December 1934, and the building opened on Nanjing West Road overlooking the former Shanghai Race Course.
Its streamlined tower, dark brick, granite base and geometric silhouette reflect the Art Deco style, with inspiration from New York’s American Radiator Building. The building was also an engineering and commercial landmark: at 83.8 metres, it was the tallest building in Asia from 1934 until 1963.
A common mix-up is with the Peace Hotel, another famous Shanghai landmark associated with historic luxury hotels. Park Hotel is the Art Deco skyscraper designed by Hudec; the Peace Hotel is a separate complex on the Bund, known especially for its jazz-era history and earlier Sassoon ownership.