The former Banque de l'Indochine Building

The former Banque de l'Indochine Building

The former Banque de l'Indochine Building is a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai.

The former Banque de l'Indochine Building

Now known as the Oriental Building, it is located at No. 29 Zhongshan East First Road, between Beijing East Road and South Suzhou Road. Constructed in the third year of the Xuantong era (1911), it was designed by the architecture firm Tonghe Foreign Firm. The building covers a site area of 1,236 square meters, with a total floor area of 2,772 square meters and a height of 21.6 meters. It features a three-story reinforced concrete frame structure.

Originally established as a bank targeting French colonies in the East, the Banque de l'Indochine was founded in Paris in the first year of the Guangxu era (1875) and opened a branch in Shanghai in the 25th year of Guangxu (1899). The building exhibits a neoclassical architectural style with a clearly defined three-part facade. The ground floor features three tall arched entrances, while the middle section is adorned with Ionic columns. The central entrance arch is decorated with a Baroque-style broken pediment, and the upper eaves are deep with intricate carvings. The interior lobby is finished with marble, featuring a central staircase and a ceiling, representing a common layout for bank buildings of that period. With its well-proportioned design and elegant style, it stands as one of the more graceful structures within the Bund riverside building complex. Starting from May 1956, it came under the management of the housing authority and was used by the Traffic Department of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau. It is now occupied by institutions such as China Everbright Bank.

It was designated as a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai in 1989.