Shanghai: Art deco capital of the East

Mon, 01/30/2012 - 04:57 — Anonymous by Sophie FriedmanArt deco is the
leitmotif of Shanghai architecture, distinguishing its most significant
buildings. In the 16 years that he's spent in the city, architecture buff
Spencer Dodington has lived almost exclusively in art deco buildings. A
passion for Shanghai's art deco heritage has established the 43-year-old
American entrepreneur as the go-to person on the subject. He runs personal
tours (with agency Luxury Concierge China), provides consultancy on
renovating pre-1949 Shanghai apartments and even designs art deco-themed
fashion accessories. "These lovely buildings got me hooked on the
uniqueness of Shanghai 1930s architecture," says Dodington. "It's
really different and interesting compared to Texas, where I'm from, but
it's also different from other cities with their own art deco, like Miami
and New York." Dodington says Miami's architecture is interesting because
it's so related to the ocean and sea life, including its color palette; the
city is known for its pastels. Its art deco buildings are also very unfussy,
with most taking the form of affordable, middle class low-rise
apartments.read more