page_title: Shanghai Exhibition Centre
section_title: Layout
hierarchical_section_title: Shanghai Exhibition Centre / Layout
caption_attribution_description: 中文（简体）‎: 摄于2012年上海书展
context_page_description: The Shanghai Exhibition Center or the Shanghai Exhibition Hall is an exhibition and convention center in central Shanghai. The building was built in 1955 as the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building to commemorate the alliance between China and the Soviet Union, a name by which many locals still refer to the building. Reflecting its original name, the design draws heavily on Russian and Empire style neoclassical architecture with Stalinist neoclassical innovations.
  The building is a major landmark in Shanghai. At 93,000 square meters, it is one of the largest integrated building complexes in central Shanghai by footprint. At 110.4 meters, it was for decades the tallest building in Shanghai. Its main frontage, an open quadrangle with an elaborate central tower, faces Yan'an Road, today the main east-west artery across central Shanghai, while its secondary façade, a colonnade, faces West Nanjing Road, one of the premier retail and commercial streets of Shanghai.
context_section_description: The focus of the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building's design is the central tower, modeled on Saint Petersburg's Admiralty Building. It forms the centerpiece of the main, southern façade of the complex, and is set back from the street with an expansive square. Under the central tower is a domed central foyer called the "Central Hall" (now called the "front hall"), which connects the three main wings of the building. Corridors to the east and west of the central foyer lead to two wings which sweep around to form two sides of the open square at the centre of the main frontage. These two wings were built as the "Agriculture Hall" and the "Culture Hall", and today house exhibition space. The Agriculture and Culture wings feature grand sweeping staircases leading visitors between floors. The open square between the Agriculture and Culture wings features a rectangular pool and musical fountains.
  North of the central foyer is the largest section of the complex, centered on a 46 meter by 84 meter rectangular hall, topped by a thin-shell vaulted roof with a span of 30 meters. This was originally the main exhibit space of the "Industry Hall", now called the "central hall". Two quadrangles lie on either side of the main hall, surrounded by further exhibition and conference space that were formerly also part of the Industry wing.
  The final section of the complex lies to the north of the Industry wing. Originally the "Cinema" wing and now called the "Friendship Hall", this is now the conference wing of the complex and makes up the northern end of the complex, and is fronted by the secondary, northern façade with a colonnade. This section houses the theatre or cinema and, underneath, a dining hall which was originally designed to be a café.
caption: The centre in 2012
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