WANDER SHANGHAI

240–246 Wukang Road

Kempton Apartments

开普敦公寓

A modern home on a triangular plot

Kempton stands south of the Wukang–Hunan junction. Built in 1940, it follows a triangular plot and rounds off its narrow end. It adjoins Guofumen Apartments but is a separate building: their addresses, dates and elevations need to be read individually.

Explore the historical timeline
Pale corner façade and round windows of Kempton Apartments

Published 22 January 2024; photograph date unspecified

Kempton Apartments after restoration, showing its pale corner façade, round windows and street entrance.

上海徐汇 / 徐汇通 · Image source · © 上海徐汇 / 徐汇通

At a glance

Built
1940A separate building from Guofumen, built in 1936 to the north
Architect
Not establishedThe official sources checked do not name a designer
Style
Modernism with streamline featuresA curved treatment of the acute corner
Original use
Apartment housingClaims of early institutional use still require original archival confirmation
Use today
Residential apartmentsRepairs addressed both conservation and living conditions
Address
240–246 Wukang RoadSouth of Guofumen Apartments

Architecture and use: sources[1] [2] [3]

The beginning

Why was it built here?

Kempton stands south of the Wukang–Hunan junction. Built in 1940, it follows a triangular plot and rounds off its narrow end. It adjoins Guofumen Apartments but is a separate building: their addresses, dates and elevations need to be read individually.[1] [2] [3]

The simple exterior conceals careful craftsmanship. Official repair records identify washed aggregate, rendered walls, imitation-stone base courses and mosaic stair treads. Coatings and wear had obscured these details; recent conservation used archives and residents’ memories to recover them.[1] [2] [3]

Look up, then look closer

Three details worth a closer look

A curved corner

The triangular mass ends in a curve. Walking along the pavement reveals the changing proportions of the narrow end and long elevation.[1] [2] [3]

Round and rectangular windows

Projecting rectangular window frames sit beside small circular openings, giving the elevation a varied geometric rhythm.[1] [2] [3]

Materials by level

The repair record distinguishes washed aggregate below, render above and an imitation-stone base, explaining the original layers beneath later paint.[1] [2] [3]

One building, changing roles

Read the building through time

Captions distinguish photographic dates from publication dates; periods without reliable images are covered in the text.

  1. 1940

    Apartments completed

    The modern residential building took shape at 240–246 Wukang Road.[1] [2] [3]

  2. 2015

    Heritage recognition

    Included in Shanghai’s fifth list of outstanding historic buildings.[1] [2] [3]

  3. 2022–2026

    Conservation repairs

    Entered the 2022 repair programme; methods were reported in 2024 and completion confirmed by the housing authority in 2026.[1] [2] [3]

Today and visiting

Discover the building from the street

Compare Kempton with Guofumen from the public pavement, then look across to Midan. The documented mosaic stairs do not make the residential interior a visitor route.[1] [2] [3]

What to notice
A curved corner · Round and rectangular windows · Materials by level
Access
View from public pavements. Do not enter residential stairs, private gardens or school grounds, or photograph through residents’ windows.
Find the address on a map ↗

Sources checked: 2026-10-22 · Follow signs and local access rules. Documentary research does not grant entry.

Shanghai and the world

Connections along the street

Midan of 1931, Guofumen of 1936 and Kempton of 1940 stand within one short walk, showing a shift towards simpler geometric residential design.[1] [2] [3]

Return to the Wukang street view

Text and image sources

This account is based on the sources below. Unverified details are identified as such. Where photographs are included, sources and licences are listed beneath each image.

  1. Xuhui CPPCC · A walk through Wukang ↗

    Official account, 2019: 1940 date, No. 240, modernist massing and windows.

  2. Shanghai Xuhui official account · Restoring the apartments ↗

    2024 repair account; distinguishes Guofumen from Kempton materials and details.

  3. Xuhui housing authority · Conservation update ↗

    March 2026 report confirms completion of Kempton’s renewal.

Image handling and dating

Images come from the archives or image source pages listed beneath each photograph. We resize and compress them to WebP, preserving their original proportions without colourisation or added detail. Grain, blur and scanning marks in historical photographs are retained.

Images retain their original framing and proportions. Publication dates are not capture dates; unknown photograph dates are not inferred. Details, group views and architectural drawings are identified in the captions.