Hudec's Park Hotel, 1934 (left)
The 1920s and 30s were, in many ways, brutal years in China. Warlordism, intermittent civil war between nationalists and communists, and eventually Japanese invasion all took a heavy toll. Interestingly, through much of this period, Shanghai produced a flourishing culture of Jazz and decadent nightlife. The most vivid reminders of this era are Shanghai’s Art Deco architectural achievements. For just a very brief sample of Shanghai Art Deco, click here for an album of photos I took around the city this summer. More than three dozen of Shanghai’s Art Deco structures were the work of Hungarian architect Lázló Hudec.
