Capturing the Haipai Spirit: Garden Villa Interiors and the Preservation of Prada Rong Zhai

Abstract

In 2017, Italian fashion house Prada unveiled to the public its preservation of a century-old mansion in Shanghai, named Rong Zhai.1 In the media, this historic preservation project was widely hailed as a success for its extraordinary craftsmanship and beautifully restored interior elements, displaying a combination of Western cultural influences alongside traditional Chinese architectural details. Rong Zhai is categorized as a Garden Villa, a special type of detached residential architecture that emerged during Shanghai’s “semi-colonial” past.2 Also emerging in the same period is the concept of Haipai, a term that represents both Shanghai’s unique architectural style and the regional culture that embraces multi-culturalism and cosmopolitanism. The following analysis highlights the connection between the Garden Villa and Haipai, arguing that Rong Zhai is a representation of Haipai, particularly evident in the inclusion of interior design elements from both European and Chinese architectural traditions. This connection provides an essential context to understanding the restoration and reuse of Prada Rong Zhai, its popularity, and limitations. Finally, through an investigation of Rong Zhai, we highlight the contributions of Haipai to our understanding of Chinese historic interiors.