Raffles City Changning Bell Tower
I have always felt that Jing’an Temple (静安寺) in Shanghai was a cool landmark, a gleaming Buddhist temple sitting right in Shanghai’s city center. Sure, it seems to be more of a tourist spot than an actual spiritual center, but the temple definitely imparts a certain flavor to the area.
Now the newly opened Raffles City Changning mall (长宁来福士广场) near Zhongshan Park (yes, right near the other massive mall in Zhongshan Park) has a similar landmark of its own: the Bell Tower. It used to be a church called St. Mary’s. Now it’s… I’m not sure what. (Still looks quite churchy, though.)
Her’s what the plaque reads:
此时 此地 | 钟楼
Time and Place | Bell Tower
钟楼，建于1926年，曾是圣玛利亚女中校园里最高的
建筑物，从远处一眼就可以看到。对于外界，它的
存在，已不仅仅在于时间的告知，也不仅仅是学生祷告
的场所，更为这块土地赋予一种如钟塔一般的指引。
今天，在长宁来福士广场，钟楼被保留下来，继续启发
精彩的时尚，文化与娱乐，引领这个时代的潮流。The Bell Tower was completed in 1926. The tallest structure in St. Mary’s Hall, it stood in clear sight from far. Outside, its presence granted a sense of bearing of time and place. Inside, St. Mary’s students came for prayers and direction. Today, it continues to inspire as a venue for fashion, culture, and entertainment.
Particularly in this lighting, it reminds me of buildings from 1990s computer games like MYST.