Bank of Communications Building (The Bund) No. 14 The Bund

The Bank of Communications Building (The Bund) No. 14 The Bund

The Bank of Communications Building (The Bund) is a structure within the Shanghai Bund architectural complex, located at No. 14 The Bund. The Bank of Communications Building at 14 Zhongshan East First Road was constructed in 1940 and features a modernist style. The building design emphasizes vertical lines, with a clean and simple facade. The exterior walls of the ground floor are clad in black marble, giving it a solemn and luxurious appearance. The solemnity of the building’s exterior contrasts with the vibrancy of its interior, giving it a distinctive character and making it stand out as a modern structure among classical buildings. It now houses the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions.

No. 14 The Bund was originally the property of the renowned British trading firm Dent & Co. In the latter half of the 19th century, after Dent & Co. went bankrupt, the site was purchased by the Deutsche-Asiatische Bank, which built a four-story Renaissance-style building. After World War I ended in 1919, China confiscated German assets within its borders, and this building was taken over by the Shanghai branch of the Bank of Communications. In 1928, when the national political center shifted from Beijing to Nanjing, the Bank of Communications relocated its headquarters to No. 14 The Bund. In 1937, with the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the bank moved its headquarters to Chongqing. After the war, between 1946 and 1947, the Shanghai headquarters was rebuilt as a six-story building in the Art Deco style — the last structure to be completed within the Shanghai Bund architectural complex. In 1951, the Bank of Communications relocated its headquarters back to Beijing, and the site at No. 14 The Bund has been occupied by the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions ever since.