Park Hotel

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Designed by Hungarian architect Ladislaus Hudec and erected as a bank in 1934, the Park Hotel was Shanghai’s tallest building until the 1980s, when shoulder-padded architects first started squinting hopefully in the direction of Pudong. Back in the days when building height had a different meaning, it was said your hat would fall off if you looked at the roof.

Peruse the foyer for its art deco overture. A short walk east along Nanjing Rd is the Pacific Hotel, formerly the China United Apartment Building, also equipped with some lovely lobby details.

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