The Alfred Magy Apartments

Address: Fuxing Xi Road by Wulumuqi Zhong Road

In the year of 1937, a Soochow businessman invested a piece of land at the intersection of Route Gustare de Boissenzon (the present day Fuxing Xi Lu) and Rue Alfred Magy (the present day Wulumuqi Zhong Lu) and built an apartment building that named after the road, Alfred Magy. At that time, all the people in Shanghai were very impressed at this project — a 10-storey structure on a piece of land with merely an area of 220sqm!

The original layout consisted of a garage that can park 4 cars, and a garbage chute on the ground floor. There are two 2-room apartments on the second floor, while all other floors consisted of just 1 apartment. (According to some Chinese sources, including OLD SHANGHAI APARTMENT BUILDINGS published by Tongji University press), the 9th to 10th floor is a “skip floor apartment” (DC will confirm later)

The good thing about these apartments is that light travels to each corner of the apartment, from bedrooms to living rooms to bathrooms and to kitchens. High quality materials were used for the interior. Heater and hot water and everything essential for daily lives (even by modern’s standards!) were all available. So it’s small, but you get everything. The huge curve of the balconies and streamline design was considered something very modern during those old Shanghai days.

The Alfred Magy Apartments remained to be one of the most classic example in Shanghai. Its clever design has given us a lot of inspiration.

The Alfred Magy Apartments

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