Virtuoso Life - September/October 2008 - (Page 62) DESIGN TOUR Xintiandi American architect Ben Wood rehabilitated an eclectic mix of houses in the French Concession with a meticulous eye for period detail. An exclusive boutique hotel flanks the plain brick building where the Chinese Communist Party was founded, and the stone-paved pedestrian streets in this sixblock enclave are lined with elegant restaurants and bars, such as Crystal Jade and T8. Red Town A former bicycle factory has been remodeled to serve as a complex of art galleries and boutiques, set off by a surreal mix of outdoor sculptures that include a car constructed of bricks and a row of polychrome plaster legs. Z58 The Japanese architect Kengo Kuma transformed a watch factory into this showroom for the Zhongtai Lighting Company. Stainless steel planters are stacked four stories high to enclose a spectacular glass-walled atrium with water cascading down behind the reception desk. In the park to the south is the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Residence, where the founder of China’s first republic once lived. Visits to Z58 are by appointment (contact Alexis Saul, szy@ztlighting.net). Qingpu An ancient canal city that has been swallowed up by Shanghai offers – as does neighboring Zhujajiao – an intriguing mix of tranquil waterways crossed by humpbacked bridges and bold new buildings commissioned by a progressive deputy mayor. The handsome Qingpu Construction Exhibition Center exhibits large models of old and new neighborhoods. The Humble Administrator’s Garden An hour west by train from Shanghai is Suzhou, a city that grew rich on the silk trade and dazzled Marco Polo. It still preserves some of China’s most beautiful gardens. This is the grandest of the six that are open to the public, offering an idealized landscape of fretted pavilions, weeping willows, moon gates, and a lake reflecting a distant pagoda. Suzhou Museum I.M. Pei, the Chinese American architect who designed the Louvre Pyramid, returned Glowing reviews: The Shanghai Museum. from Dim Sum to SuShi: Shanghai EatS Club Jin Mao Spectacular views from the 86th floor draw a well-heeled crowd of locals, but they stay for the serious Shanghai cuisine, which includes soupy dumplings, twice-cooked crispy duck, and sweet-and-sour fish with pine nuts. Grand Hyatt Hotel, 88 Century Boulevard, Pudong; 86-21/50-49-12-34 Crystal Jade A stylish dim sum eatery that offers the best southern specialties, including barbecued pork buns and shrimp-stuffed har gow, alongside crispy wontons from the north. South Block Xintiandi, Lane 123; 86-21/6385-87-52 Jean-Georges Another outpost of the New York-based Alsatian chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, located in an elegant copper and blue dining room. The menu includes exemplary seafood, such as scallops from Dalian, Kumamoto oysters, steamed snapper, and crab dumplings, all prepared with a delicate touch. 3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road; 86-21/63-21-77-33 People 7 Moody lighting and servers who guide you to your table by flashlight set the tone in this three-level complex of dining rooms and bar, which serves such light fare as ceviche, chicken with crisp-fried hot peppers, and spicy tofu. 805 Julu Lu; 86-21/54-0407-07 Shintori Null II A lamplit path lined with bamboo leads to an exuberant loft space offering sushi, tempura, and other Japanese standards. 803 Julu Lu; 86-21/54-04-52-52 T8 Fusion cuisine is prepared in a huge glass-walled kitchen in this sophisticated retreat. The caramelized salted salmon, rack of lamb, and roasted duck consommé merit their high prices, and wine can be ordered by the glass. North Block Xintiandi, 181 Tai Cang Lu; 86-21/63-55-89-99 62 V I RT U O S O L I F E ChuCanCan/ getty images
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