I don't know what it is, but there really is just nothing quite as beautiful as spending a Sunday afternoon at an old slaughterhouse.

That is, I suppose, if said slaughterhouse is an art-deco masterpiece that was built in the 30's, and converted into a gallery/cafe/retail space. I'm speaking of 1933, which could be one of Shanghai's most beautiful buildings and well-kept secrets. It won't, I'm sure, be a secret for long, as this majestic building is slowly transformed into a 'creative space'.

I uploaded our pictures to Flickr- although I'll be taking my students there as a stop on our field trip tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have a few more up soon. The Shanghaiist also has some great photos and a little information about the space. The 1933 official website has a neat 360º panorama view, but its not of the central space, which to me is the most bizarrely beautiful in the most Escher like way- as much as possible, that is, without becoming non-functional.