There is an unsung architectural style in our midst. Writers in Shanghai have long noted the city’s art deco heriage with fervent glee, even writing fantastic books popularizing these buildings and their lavish Beaux Arts Bund cousins. Recently, the works of Hudec and other early 20th-century Shanghai architects have become the focus of new tomes, lectures and exhibitions. But there is nary a mention of another facet of our city’s pre-second world war past: the Edwardian style.
 
       Early 20th-century Edwardian represented a break with the Victorian era’s fussy over-decoration and dark interiors. Of course, in today’s landscape, Edwardian itself seems rather conservative and often play second fiddle to the more romantic revival styles. But still it lingers on in Shanghai and many other places around the world as a reminder of the last word in style around the turn of the 20th century. Read the rest of this entry »