Wukang Mansion

Wukang Mansion is one of Shanghai's most photographed buildings, a dramatic wedge-shaped apartment block that rises like the prow of a ship at a busy intersection in the former French Concession. Completed in 1924 to a design by the Hungarian architect Laszlo Hudec, it has become an emblem of the city's cosmopolitan interwar architecture.

Its form is unmistakable. Occupying a narrow triangular plot where several roads converge, the building tapers to a rounded point, its brick and stucco facade layered with balconies, arches and decorative detailing in a French Renaissance revival style. Originally called the Normandie Apartments, it was among the earliest steel-frame residential buildings in the city and housed a well-heeled international clientele.

The surrounding neighborhood is the draw. The mansion stands at the heart of the plane-tree-shaded streets of the old French Concession, a district celebrated for its low European villas, boutiques, cafes and quiet, walkable lanes. Many notable figures of twentieth-century China lived in the immediate area, and small plaques and museums mark their former homes.

Its fame has brought crowds. The intersection has become a magnet for photographers and social-media visitors, so much so that the pavements often fill with people angling for the classic view of the building's dramatic prow.

For visitors, Wukang Mansion is best enjoyed as part of a stroll. It is reached by subway and sits within an easy walk of the concession's leafiest streets, so most people combine it with a wander among the surrounding villas and cafes rather than treating it as a single stop. The building remains a private residence and is not open inside, but its exterior and setting reward an unhurried visit, especially in the soft light of late afternoon when the facade glows against the trees.