The story appears on

Page A5

August 24, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Metro » Entertainment and Culture

Discovered artwork aids library renovation

ARTWORK feared lost for decades has been discovered in a hidden cabinet by staff restoring the historic former Shanghai Library in Yangpu District.

These original panels for the 80-year-old library’s main hall feature the traditional Chinese double happiness symbol and intricate corner designs, all framed in vibrant turquoise.

They had originally been on the ceiling of the 156-square-meter hall at the main library entrance, but most were lost over the decades.

However, lead restorer Ma Lili said staff last month found a cabinet hidden away in a corner of the hall.

Inside was a treasure trove of well-preserved original artwork.

Ma said this is a vital find for ensuring the authenticity of the Heishan Road library’s 156-square-meter hall.

“These paintings have become the major reference point for restoring decorations in the hall,” she said.

Staff are trying to discover more about the skilled art workers who created these 1-square-meter panels and are working with local art colleges to establish what kind of paint was used, she added.

Work on the library, a centerpiece of the 1930s “Greater Shanghai Plan,” should be complete by early 2017.

It is being expanded to realize the original vision of its architect Dong Dayou. Dong studied at the University of Minnesota and Cornell University and worked on an earlier Shanghai city hall in 1931 and designed Spanish-style houses on Wukang Rd.

Yangpu District government expects the restored library in the Jiangwan area to become a landmark in the district.

It will serve the 1.24 million residents of the district and include an exhibition hall on the history of the library, Zhang Min, deputy director of the Yangpu Bureau of Culture, previously said.

It was built by the Kuomintang government as part of the “Greater Shanghai Plan” to bring the city government and major facilities to the area.

It was expected to form part of a new city center along with government buildings, a museum, a stadium, a hospital and TV and radio stations. The Jiangwan Stadium is still in use today.

Ma said that while the discovery of the artwork will greatly help with the interior, the exterior is more difficult.

Getting the restoration right, ensuring the authenticity of details down to the building’s lightning rod, has required numerous discussions, said Ma.

Some of the exterior had been damaged by 80 years of weathering while parts had been repainted.

Workers remove the facade piece by piece, cataloguing, cleaning and repairing each bit before reattaching them, Ma said.

The glazed tiles on the roof are nearly all damaged and Ma’s team is trying to trace the original manufacturer.

Construction on the library was suspended in 1935 with the start of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Although only half-built, it still opened, before closing a year later.

It is said to have had more than 20,000 books, including over 1,300 foreign titles. Most were lost during the war.

After the war, the library was used to detain Japanese prisoners of war.

It was then converted into a military headquarters of the Kuomintang Party in 1946, while traffic police were later based in the building.

It served as the school library and dormitory of Tongji Middle School until 2000. Then it lay empty until renovation work started late last year.

The new library will cover 15,000 square meters, will be home to 650,000 books, 1,200 newspapers and magazine titles, and include seating for 650 people, said officials.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend