Shanghai Science Hall

The Shanghai Science Hall stands next to Fuxing Park, both popular landmarks of Shanghai. In 2019, the old Western-style building of the Shanghai Science Hall was declared a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, gaining more attention.

In 1904, the French Chamber of Commerce and public celebrities established a social group named Cercle Sportif Français and built the “French Club” in the north of what the Chinese called the “Gujiazhai Garden”or“French Garden”now known as Fuxing Park. In 1917, French architects Wantz and Boisseron of the Municipal Administrative Council of the French Concession undertook the expansion project of the French Club. In principle, the expansion project retained the original building, and new buildings were built to the west, extending the total length of the building to more than 130 metres from east to west. The expanded main building takes the central as the central axis, with two wings in symmetry. In the central axis, a bell tower and a front terrace were added. The roofs on both sides are helmet-shaped folding slopes, the so-called “mansard roof,” which is more magnificent and luxurious than the original facade. The entrance to the French Club is on Route Vallon (today's Nanchang Road). Two staircases on both sides lead to the second floor, with cast iron railings carved with the patterns of French abbreviation C. S.F. (the abbreviation of Cercle Sportif Français); across the entrance are large stained-glass windows facing south. The sunlight shines into the room through the windows, and the soft and warm light creates a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere; the French words “L'Orphelinat de Tou-sè-wè1918” can still be found on the stained glass on the north side. This is probably the only existing stained glass manufactured by the Tushanwan Orphanage marked with its logo and production date in Shanghai, and thus has a very high cultural value. The first floor and the second floor on both sides of the central axis are designed with spacious corridors, facilitated with a carom room, a snooker room, a bowling room, a bar room, a dance floor, a fencing room, a dressing room, a restaurant, etc. The French Club, together with the English Club, the German Club and the American Club in Shanghai are collectively called the“four great clubs”.

Later, the French built a new French Club on Route Cardinal Mercier (today's South Maoming Road). Therefore, the Municipal Administrative Council of the French Concession took the French Club on Route Vallon as its school and a school for French people.

After 1949, the French Club on Nanchang Road was used as the office of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture. In 1957, it was changed into an activity centre for scientific and technological workers. In 1958, the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology was established and this place became its seat.