Columbia Circle Shanghai
A 1920s residential compound built for Americans living in old Shanghai, reborn as the city's most laid-back open block.
Written and signed by Alex ChuWhat it actually is
Columbia Circle is a converted 1920s American expat compound in Shanghai's Changning district, opened as an open block in 2018 after Vanke-led restoration. Spanish-mission architecture, a 1924 navy pool, and a leafy central courtyard make it one of Shanghai's most chill day-visit spots.
Editor's take
Worth a stop, especially on a weekday afternoon or for an extended citywalk. Skip on busy weekends if you want the laid-back vibe; pair with Wuyi or Anxi roads for a fuller half day.
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A 1920s American expat enclave, reopened
Built in the 1920s by American developer Pui Kwan Kee as the Columbia Country Club, the compound served Shanghai's American community until 1951. From 1951 to 2016 the Shanghai Institute of Biological Products ran here, producing China's first BCG and measles vaccines; the name 'Shangsheng Xinsuo' (literally 'Sheng Wu Yan Jiu Suo New Place') survives from that era. Vanke restored it from 2016 and reopened the first phase in 2018, adding a second phase in 2024.
Three signature buildings in one block
The 1927 Spanish-mission Columbia Country Club (now Tsutaya bookstore), the 1931 Sun Ke Villa by Hungarian-born architect Hudec (Spanish, Baroque, and Italian Renaissance, with a teak spiral staircase), and the 1924 Navy Club pool (Shanghai's oldest outdoor British-style pool, blue-and-white mosaic). All within a few minutes' walk of each other.
A slow citywalk, not a tick-box sight
Most visitors spend one to two hours wandering the courtyards, browsing Tsutaya, and coffee-shopping. It pairs naturally with the Yan'an West Road metro loop through Wuyi Road, Anxi Road, Lihsi Road, Feiyue Li, and Xingfu Li -- another hour of low-key streets with small shops.