No. 2 The Bund — widely known as the Shanghai Club Building — is an iconic landmark with a rich past. Founded in 1861, the club originally occupied a three-story brick-and-timber structure. The current building was constructed between 1909 and 1911.
Architecturally, it’s a masterpiece of British Neoclassicism. The main facade follows a classic horizontal tripartite composition: the base features Baroque ornamentation at the entrance; the middle section is supported by six grand Ionic columns and adorned with pediment reliefs above the windows; and the roof is crowned with Baroque towers at both ends.
Inside, the entrance hall is framed by eight pairs of Tuscan double columns spanning the first two floors.
On the south side, a magnificent 34-meter bar — crafted from Italian marble and framed by 5-meter-high oak paneling — became legendary. Back then, it was said that a visit to Shanghai wasn’t complete without a drink here.
In 1989, the ground floor made history again by hosting Shanghai’s first KFC. The original long bar was dismantled, and the interior was reconfigured to accommodate the fast-food restaurant.
In 2009, the building was reimagined as the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, and the legendary long bar was meticulously restored to its former glory.