Former Site of the Shanghai Municipal Council Slaughterhouse

Former Site of the Shanghai Municipal Council Slaughterhouse

The former site of the Shanghai Municipal Council Slaughterhouse is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The former site of the Shanghai Municipal Council Slaughterhouse is located at No. 10 and No. 29 Shajing Road, and is now the 1933 Old Millfun Creative Park. It was designated as a cultural heritage conservation unit in Hongkou District in 2004. The entire building was designed according to the original British blueprint by British architect Balfours, constructed in 1933 by the Yu Hongji Construction Company. It covers an area of 8,677 square meters, with a built-up area of 29,500 square meters, has four floors, and is built with a reinforced concrete structure. At the time, it was the largest modern slaughterhouse in the Far East. Globally, only three slaughterhouses of the same scale were ever built: one in the UK, one in the US, and the third right here at No. 10 Shajing Road in Shanghai. Today, the first two no longer exist, making this site the only one remaining — possessing significant cultural heritage value.

The architectural layout and spatial organization were designed based on functional requirements, resulting in a complex flow of movement. The structure is square on the outside and circular within: four buildings on the east, south, west, and north form a square factory compound, connected via passageways to a central main building that is approximately cylindrical and has 24 sides (commonly referred to as the "24-angle tower," which is unique in China). The entire building features varying heights, spiraling corridors, intricate design, resembling a winding maze yet maintaining clear order. The main interior spaces use beamless slab construction, creating open and expansive areas. The exterior has a simple form with geometrically decorated facades, emphasizing the contrast between solid and void. It exhibits the style of a Roman basilica from the ancient Roman Empire period.

The Municipal Slaughterhouse was listed as one of Shanghai’s Fourth Batch of Outstanding Historical Buildings in 2005, and was upgraded to a Shanghai Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 2014.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units