On July 20, SOHO China property development company revealed plans on its official website to renovate a portion of the Bund (between Zhongshan Road East and Xinyong'an Road) with "five tall and narrow gold buildings" including two 31-story skyscrapers, nearly three times the height of the nearby historic Bund buildings. The Bund features more than 50 buildings of various architectural styles such as Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque which were built around the 1900s.

According to a poll on weibo.com, nearly 70 percent of respondents are against the development. Most of them feel that the buildings will damage the area.

"I don't want to see another transformation ruin the city," Wang Ming, a 67-year-old Shanghai native said. Wang was born in Laoximen, which was one of the most densely populated areas of Shanghai in the 1990s. Back then thousands of people lived in the lanes and shikumen, however these days traffic roars along the widened street where Wang used to live. And no longer can the lively lanes be seen. "I'm so sad when I walk on the street where I lived for more than 50 years," Wang said. "The history has been wiped out!"

Old life, new life

Modern buildings and skyscrapers created the new Shanghai, one of the fastest developing economic centers in Asia. However, many of Shanghai's natives miss the old life. Wang Meijun, 22, has lived in an old house on Tianping Road since she was born. In the early 1950s, Wang's grandparents were distributed a unit on the first floor. After more than 50 years, the old residents have moved away one after the other and the original units have been divided into several rooms for leasing. Wang and her parents now live in a room of less than 20 square meters and rent their other room out.

"We need to line up for a bath," Wang said. On each floor, five or six units share a bathroom, and a kitchen where every unit has a separate stove. The electric fuses often break when the air conditioner and other big appliances are turned on at the same time, she said.

Despite that, Wang refuses to leave even if she is offered a much bigger apartment in the suburbs. "It's close to work," Wang said. "Moreover, this is where I grew up. The neighbors are friends. I love living here." In 2005, Wang's grandparents moved into a new apartment. "Grandpa still misses here, because he could plant flowers in the courtyard," said Wang.

In recent years expats have moved into the area. Rachel Smith, from the US, chose to move to Shanghai after she worked for the USA Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. Several months ago, she moved to an old house in Yugu Village, which was built in 1927 on Yuyuan Road. "I enjoy the tranquility," said Smith. "I wake up every morning and hear nothing, except for the occasional bird chirping."

Many foreigners think living in an old house is "cool." Doug Young has lived in a row-style old house on Yuyuan Road for two years. According to Young, it is trendy in the US to buy old homes and refurbish them so that they're modern on the inside but still have a historical feel on the outside. "It makes you feel like you're living in history, rather than living in a modern, generic high-rise that was built in the last few years," said Young. "Though the electric wiring frequently has problems."

Protection and renovation

How to save the city's historical houses while developing new ones is a great concern for developers. "Old houses are more than cultural relics. They not only are for remembering history but also have practical functions, either for commercial or residential purposes. Therefore, these buildings need renovation to prolong their lives," said Wang Hongjun, a professor from Tongji University who focuses on the protection of Shanghai's architectural heritage.

Wang introduced a few development models for historical buildings in Shanghai. The most typical pattern is to reinvent old buildings into upscale business centers. Xintiandi and Sinan Mansions are two successful examples of this. Since investment usually comes from big financial groups, the restoration not only involves the exterior part but also the whole structure, which helps to strengthen the buildings' foundations.

Another mode is to transform old areas into creative bases through the efforts of individuals, as in Tianzifang. "This is an interesting model. They have respect for the old houses," Wang said. Disadvantage of this model is that individuals usually neglect the restoration of the structure, which may lead to safety risks.

In 2007, Cité Bourgogne in Huangpu district, an area consisting of 78 shikumen houses built in 1930, experienced a thorough transformation. New toilets replaced the original wooden ones. The kitchen was improved. New stoves were installed. Most of the renovations were funded by the government while residents contributed a small portion.

"I prefer this development model. Residents needn't be relocated to suburban areas. Living standards are upgraded and people maintain their old life. We need different models of development. Don't always copy the Xintiandi model. I wish there was more development like this," said Wang.

Realms of significance

Currently 2,138 buildings in Shanghai have been named architectural heritages. The buildings are mainly situated in downtown areas like Huangpu, Xuhui, Changning, Jing'an and Hongkou districts. These old buildings covered a diverse range of functions such as government, commerce, culture and education, religious worship and manufacturing.

In July 2002, the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress issued a regulation for the protection of Shanghai's historical and cultural architecture. It regulated that architectural heritages should have more than 30 years of history. Furthermore, buildings which offer cultural or scientific value because of their architectural styles and techniques, which reflect the history of local architecture can be regarded as architectural heritages. Representative works of famous architects and representative workshops, factories and warehouses are also included in the list.

According to the local government website, the requirement for architectural heritages differs according to the historical, scientific and cultural significance of the houses.

For buildings considered of high significance, not only are the fa?ade and structure forbidden to be changed, but also the indoor decorations. For all other buildings deemed architectural heritage, the fa?ades are forbidden to be changed.

Yesterday's Shanghai

Shanghai's old houses were mostly constructed before 1949 by Chinese and foreign tycoons. There is a term in Shanghai dialect for the location of these houses, which means privileged places for living, such as the former French Concession, Xintiandi, Jing'an Temple area and the popular Xuhui Garden area. According to historical statistics, politicians mostly lived in the old houses in Xuhui district, businessmen lived near Yuyuan Road and Huashan Road, while intellectuals gathered in Luwan district (today's Huangpu district).
In Xuhui district, there are the former residences of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling and Soong Ching Ling. On Huashan Road, is the famous Clove Garden, where Li Hongzhang' son, Li Jingmai spent his final years. Li Jingmai became a millionaire with the properties and stocks what his father left him.

The former residence of Liu Haisu, a prominent contemporary Chinese painter, and noted art teacher, is located in a French-style villa on Fuxing Road Middle, Luwan district.

In Cité Bourgogne, Ba Jin, one of the most important and widely-read Chinese writers of the 20th century, once rented an apartment and finished his novella, A Dream of the Sea, there.

Modern life in Shanghai's old lanes

After two years of renovations, an old lane house with nearly 100 years of history in Shanghai has been modified by a French couple into a luxurious villa with a massage room, swimming pool, garden and tree house.

The property is a paradise for children to play in and their parents need not worry too much about their safety, because every detail of the house is designed with care and the needs of the children in mind.

For over a decade the couple moved from one city to another for business; however, around 10 years ago they decided to settle in Shanghai.

In 2002, Olivier Chouvet started to look for their future home. After visiting nearly 100 properties in downtown Shanghai, he was attracted to an old villa on Yuyuan Road.

"The former owner was an 84-year-old Shanghai native. The house is nearly as old as him," Chouvet said.

Five boxes

Since the renovations the property now stands out among the other buildings in the lane. The theme of the design is "CUBE 5." The house consists of five boxes, which includes the hallway made of marble, the steel window extruding from the third floor, the square swimming pool in the garden, the wooden entrance in the front of the house and the tree house in the backyard.

The house, which was built in 1935, was in a state of disrepair when Chouvet purchased it.

There was a leak on the first floor. Too many partitions led to poor ventilation and insufficient light, the attic wasn't fully utilized and the garden was covered with weeds.

The designer spent half a year solving these problems. The partitions were broken, the bearing wall was replaced by ground beams and concrete, the attic was widened and reinforced and the swimming pool was built along the walls to save space for the lawn.

After two years' transformation, the indoor space was expanded to 500 square meters. "Every weekend, my friends bring their children to my house. When the weather's fine, we have barbecues in the garden," said Chouvet.

A new place to party

Chouvet's house is like a magic world waiting to be discovered. The hallway is decorated with paintings of signboards of various Chinese institutions and businesses and are reminiscent of the contemporary works seen at 798 Art Zone in Beijing.

The sitting room is adorned with quaint furniture and arts and crafts, which gives the home a traditional feel. The family considers many of the items masterpieces.

The 100-square-meter backyard is composed of a wooden deck, lawn, an outdoor eating table, a swing set, tree house and heated swimming pool.

The highlight is the tree house, taken straight from a fairy tale and transplanted to a Shanghai lane. A suspended staircase and a rope allow for access to the tree house.

"Children like to climb. This is their territory. It's hard for adults to climb to that house," Chouvet said with a smile on his face.

There is much light and music around the house. No matter if it is in the garden or the bathroom, there is music around. Similarly, the intensity of the light can be adjusted from anywhere in the house.

The only goal the couple has yet to achieve is building a cellar for their collection of wines. Despite that, wine remains a must for the French. Every time friends visit, the Chouvets will invite them to the bar near the kitchen to open a bottle of wine they like while admiring the moon through the skylight.

Love to be Shanghainese

Chouvet met his wife at university. After working in the public relations field for a long time, they collaborated to establish an online luxury shop, and a consulting firm which plans events for famous brands.

"Many friends from France can't understand why I settled in Shanghai," Chouvet said. "I love the city. It's changing every day. I hope that it won't lose its historical elements."

Chouvet explained that he prefers to live in the lanes rather than modern apartments because this is where he can experience authentic Shanghai.

After living in the house for one year and a half, the Chouvets are now quite familiar with their neighbors.

"I love the living environment. Many Chinese families have lived in this lane for decades. Whenever I set out to work, everything here reminds me that I am living in Shanghai," Chouvet said.