CityWalk - Böcker

Shikumen Lilong residencies were prevalent from the end of the 19th century until 1930. Combining the traits of southern Chinese dwellings and western row houses, it is the most representative of modern Shanghai residential architecture.The book shows a unique residential kind of building in Shanghai called Shikumen and records its architectural style and the use of space. A travel guide to 40 of Shanghai's most representative Shikumen lanes is also provided and is compared with the Shanghai block map in the 1940s of the 20th century. The book also collects 120 pictures of the architecture and life of Shikumen Lilong, and the author has compiled 400 Shikumen Lilong directories based on his accumulation of years of visiting Shikumen, which can become a guide for readers to stroll through Shikumen Lilong houses and experience Shikumen City Life.From 2004 to 2012, using casual photography to specific documentation, the authors have observed over 500 Shikumen Lilong, and will continue to record the heritage of this style of architecture.Text in English and Chinese.

László Hudec (László Edvard Hudec, or Ladislaus Edward Hudec) can only be described as a legend. As one of the foreign architects who fled his native country of Austria-Hungary during troubled times, he ended up making his mark on more than 50 projects, including over 100 buildings during his 29-year (1918 to 1947) stay in a city far away from home.Among them, 25 projects have been listed as Shanghai's Most Historical Buildings. His signature work, the Park Hotel, is counted as national heritage. How did Hudec come to enjoy his legendary status in a foreign land, especially as he arrived with almost nothing in his pocket? Why does he continue to attract new followers even in the 21st century?For the last 14 years, Dr. Hua Xiahong has devoted herself to the study of Hudec and his architecture. The Shanghai Hudec Architecture has shown the essence of Hudec’s projects, which is also one part of the essence of Shanghai’s architecture. To know Hudec, is to know the history of Shanghai and the city’s future.Like an encyclopaedia of architecture, his style has gone through Neo-classicism, Expressionism, Art Deco and Modernism, which not only reflects European and American influences, but also the architect’s personal creativity. Hudec has left behind a lot of work that is remarkable in Shanghai's architectural history.Text in English and Chinese.

The numerous items of everyday material culture that we employ in housework, cleaning, office work and entertainment are more than mere disposable objects. In a sense, they represent one of the ways for us to understand the idiosyncratic lifestyles and traditions of various places and peoples. A great number of these household items and daily necessities come from the handiwork of anonymous craftsmen, who have learned their skills through family inheritance or apprenticeship.This book presents 120 selected items of everyday use, currently available in Shanghai in one way or another. Alongside photographs and illustrations, the book also includes interviews with craftsmen living in Shanghai, who specialise in bamboo, wood, straw, iron, and cloth, to portray and share the endeavors of craftsmen as a whole, as well as the intimate details of their lives in Shanghai. Hopefully, this book will help to introduce the ideas of environmental friendliness and resource preservation to readers looking for novel concepts, and to people who care about the development of Shanghai.Text in English and Chinese.

The Bund was once a mud land criss-crossed with farm fields, wild reeds, and a rooster fighting yard. Then its shape transformed dramatically looking similar to a European City, thus the mud Bund became the modern and attractive gold Bund. The stories of the Bund are about how the mud land turned into a billion-dollar skyline.This book is a practiced journalist's notebook about historical buildings in the Bund. The story of the Bund is the history of Shanghai's rapid development. The book records the past and present details of 30 buildings on the Bund north of Yan 'an East Road, and shares hundreds of architectural photos and historical pictures. The 30 buildings listed in the book are accompanied by the latest tourist tips, as well as colorful architectural maps of the Bund and data analysis charts. The great changes in Shanghai can be seen more clearly from the authors' unique perspective.Michelle Qiao has done arduous research in Xujiahui Library where abundant historical archives from Shanghai's old English newspapers are kept. This book presents Bund architecture with the authors' unique descriptions and vivid photos.Text in English and Chinese.

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world because of its perfect blend of nature, environment, architecture and people. With almost complete preservation of architecture from all historical periods, Prague is second to none among other World Heritage cities for its richness, integrity and diversity. The city is like a European open-air museum of architectural art, and one of the indispensable destinations for architects and architecture lovers to travel in Europe.Based on years of field and literature research by the authors, this book showcases the achievements of Prague's thousand-year urban architectural changes and the protection of complete heritage.Through the interpretation of 43 historic buildings from different periods, this book explores Prague's urban characteristics and changes. Though priceless, most of these built heritages are beyond the focus of Western architectural history research, and their status and significance need to be readdressed and reassessed.Text in English and Chinese.