Old Shanghai Science Hall (College Francais)
One of the best thing after work in Shanghai is a walk down the small streets behind the main avenues where our
office towers stand.
If you happen to work near Huai Hai Middle Road, then you should visit Nanchang Road, formerly known as Rue Vallon. There you will find a lovely old building sitting quietly, usually haunted except a few elderly who look after it during the day; the old Shanghai Science Hall.
There are only very few sources about this beautiful old facade, and it really took me some time to trace its origins. The whole story dates back in 1904, when the number of French population grew rapidly. The Municipal Council in the former French Concession commissioned a Sports Club for the French community in town. It is a 2-storey building of brick and concrete composite with a large tennis court with a total area of 500sqm. When the club was moved to a new venue, the present Okura Garden Hotel on Maoming Road in 1925, this building was converted into a school known as College Francais, or College Municipal Francais according to some sources. After liberation in 1949, it was assigned for a new mission, and became the headquarters of the Shanghai Science Hall.
I arrived at this haunted hall on a late afternoon and the old guard who was on duty told me I should come another day; he’ll turn on all the lights of the hall and show me its original grandeur……Hope he’ll keep his promise.
Note: I am still searching for the name of the architects who designed this building. The Chinese translation is 万茨 and 博尔舍伦. If you happen to come across their corresponding French names, please contact me. Thank you.
