WHEN I moved into a flat hidden down a lane on Wukang Road in 2009, a government project to renovate this historical road was just coming to an end. Stretching 1 kilometer, the road appeared neater and more beautiful, but at the same time still quiet and unknown.

Wukang Road has become much more famous during the past five years. Xuhui District government set up a visitor center, which has received over 220,000 visitors. Trendy restaurants and cafes have popped up on both sides of the street and are usually full on weekends.

In 2011, Wukang Road was named a national historical and cultural street by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

These changes are largely due to the rejuvenation project that kicked off in 2007 - regarded as the city’s first attempt to revive a historical street. As one of the 144 historical streets, Wukang Road was selected for the first revamp.

It proved so successful that the Xuhui government plans to apply “the Wukang Road model” to other historic streets.

Wukang Road was the brainchild of American John Calvin Ferguson. His goal was to make it convenient for faculty members to travel from their downtown homes to Nanyang Public School (Shanghai Jiao Tong University). Locals often referred to this nameless road as Route de Ferguson.

The road is in the former “new French concession,” a vast area that the French Municipal Council gained by expanding its concession west to Huashan Road in 1914. Experts called it “the only well-planned, high-quality residential area in old Shanghai,” where expatriates and Chinese merchants, politicians and celebrities lived.

Shanghai entered its “golden era” in the 1920s and early 1930s, a period that shaped the urban scene of a city once known as “Paris of the East.” Architectural scholars believe two regions best represent this period Ñ the Bund, a symbol of the city’s economy, and the western area of the former French concession, an upscale residential community.

After completing two series about the Bund, I’m moving westward and haven chosen Wukang Road as the starting point to explore the old “new French concession.”

THE Cape Town Apartments on Wukang Road are a miniature version of the nearby Normandie Apartments.

Known by locals as the “small iron” building due to its shape, the Cape Town Apartments were designed by the firm Palmer & Turner, which was founded by William Salway in 1868 in Hong Kong. The architectural firm entered the Shanghai market in 1912, making a big impression with the Union Building (now Three on the Bund).

The company went on to play a leading role in the reconstruction of the Bund in the 1920s and designed nine of the 23 waterfront buildings including the HSBC Building and Sassoon House.

“Palmer & Turner was the largest and most important architecture firm in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s. Its works were almost a mini collection of the Shanghai architectural scene,” says Tongji University vice president Wu Jiang.

Qian Zonghao, another Tongji University professor, is a fan of the Cape Town Apartments because the building made excellent use of an odd shaped plot of land, which was common in the former French Concession.

“These types of apartment buildings were constructed in later periods, the 1930s or 40s. They were often built on small, irregular shaped pieces of land close to the street or around the corners, just like pieces of dried bean curd,” the professor says with a chuckle.

The co-author of the book “Shanghai Wukang Road” explains that the French Municipal Council had forbidden new “Chinese-style houses” from being built in the upscale residential area. Due to land plot limitations, architects abandoned classic or Baroque styles in favor of Art Deco or modern styles.

“On the other hand, these awkward plots forced architects to be creative and come up with smart designs. It lead to a bunch of clean-cut, chic apartment buildings with scientific layouts just like the Cape Town Apartments. These buildings were popular among the city’s white-collar employees,” Qian says.

Built in the 1940s, the four-story Cape Town building covers an area of 126.7 square meters and has a rather flat top. The façade is divided in three sections vertically with the middle part protruding to the street. The creamy-hued façade is decorated simply with some white lines. The acute angle of the building is treated in a curved way, which flows smoothly to the roadside façade. The windows are in a variety of shapes including circles, squares and rectangles.

Inside, the original staircase is paved with a stylish red-and-black mosaic and the butter-hued tiles are well-preserved. The ground floor now features fashion shops while the top floors remain apartments.

Qian says that there is an impression that a big firm like Palmer & Turner would only take on big projects, which isn’t true as the Cape Town Apartments demonstrate. He notes that several small villas along Wukang Road were also designed by Palmer & Turner.

Wu Jiang believes developers and architects have had it too easy since the reform and opening up era was launched.

“In the early stage of this opening-up period the Chinese government often demolished everything on a block to make a ‘clean base’ to attract investment and speed up urban construction,” Wu says. “It’s been more than 20 years and our developers are so comfortable with this easy model because you can start building new buildings tomorrow.

“I think developers should learn to develop on odd-sized plots, on which there may be some old buildings, several ancient trees or an antique well that could be preserved,” he adds. “It’s time for developers to learn to paint wisely on a painted cloth.”

And maybe the idea of a wedged shaped building like the Cape Town Apartment can be borrowed from Wukang Road.

Yesterday: Cape Town Apartments

Today: Cape Town Apartments residential and retail

Architect: Palmer & Turner

Built in the 1940s

Architectural style: Modern

Tips: The interior is not open to the public. Have a close look at the acute angle of the building and compare the smart design of this building with the Midget Apartments at 115 Wukang Road, or the Normandie Apartments.