Elizabeth goes to an abattoir Jan 12, 2011

Did I get your attention? Yes, it really was an abattoir, but a renovated one, now called 1933.

Here's the blurb from another website:

Conceived as a new commercial hub for creative industries, Shanghai’s 1933 in historic Hongkou District has a rather inglorious past – that of a former abattoir and derelict factory that dates back to the 1930s, and until the refurbishment, has largely laid in ruins.However, that unfashionable past has been turned on its head, and given a marketing spin to deliberately draw attention to its former incarnation as a slaughterhouse.

Think along the lines of the Les Halles (Old Central Market) in Paris or the Meatpacking District in New York, and you will have an idea of the inspiration behind 1933 and the direction it is heading.

I went with my friend Eliza and we had a great time exploring this lovely structure. 

For those of you who love Art Deco, fill your boots! You know who I mean.

Fabulous facade

Flowering column

1933 reminded me of the Distillery District in Toronto, except it's just one building. Eliza and I checked out numerous boutiques, actually former workshops,  on the first floor. It was one of my more pleasurable shopping experiences in Shanghai.You all know how much I love to shop...only under duress, but at 1933 I actually bought something for myself. Alert the media.

Some of the "air bridges"
These were different widths to control the flow of animals.

O.K. I know this was an industrial building, but look at the architecture! Great lines.

The ramp that the cattle used to climb up to the air bridges and then to the top feeding pens where they would eat and rest before meeting their Maker. This ramp was only used by animals. The human workers used separate stairs for safety and hygiene.

Note the rough, anti-slip surface of the ramp

Where the bad cattle went.

I guess you could have only three misbehaving cows at once.

Another view of the ground floor

Eliza and I made our way up to the second floor. We took the stairs. 
The ramp was just a little too creepy.


A Chinese restaurant called "The Golden Bull".
Get it?

We didn't have lunch there. We instead went to this amazing place, Rosso Italiano.


Outside lounge area

A little nippy to sit out here


Inside Rosso Italiano

Now you can see why it bills itself as an "art gallery/restaurant".


My glass plate
Remind you of a certain store, Wendy?

Lunch was equally stunning... 

Veal tonnato


...and filling

Chick pea soup


The main course

I know this isn't a Friday Funny, but I just had to include the menu.

I especially love the mangled geography, being Canadian and all.

After lunch, Eliza and I ventured up to the third floor to check out the theatre. It was a workshop in its former life. The floor of this theatre is made of tempered glass that can, and has, supported a car when they've held various fancy car presentations there, such as Ferrari, Mercedes, Porsche. 

Standing on the glass floor looking down to the lower levels and the air bridges is supposed to be very Escheresque.

See for yourself

The floor was reminiscent of the glass floor at the CN Tower, but obviously not as high or scary. 


Yours truly showing off  doing a cartwheel across the glass floor.
Believe me, this took a few tries to capture.

 Ta dum!

Eliza and I then headed out of 1933 after having had a lot of fun. She drove home and I took the subway. Yes, I do that in Shanghai.

This is what I noticed on my walk to the station.

What a weird building! What is that on the top?

Zooming in for a closer look from the side...

It was easier to figure out if you were actually there, but this was a chicken coop! 

This was confirmed by what I saw sidewalk level. Yes, in the city.

Practically free range, just lose the brick.


Never a dull moment in Shanghai if you keep your eyes open.