The former Municipal Abattoir of Shanghai, built in 1933 to a design by the British architect Balfours, is one of the most remarkable pieces of industrial architecture in China. The building design was driven by the requirements of slaughtering 10,000 animals per day: circular floor plans on four stories, with interlocking cattle-walk ramps connecting the floors, all in reinforced concrete with elaborate ventilation perforations.
The industrial logic created a building that is architecturally extraordinary — the spiral ramps, the circular geometry, the 26 overhead bridges connecting the main building to the surrounding structures. Now converted to a creative and event venue, the building is at its most impressive when empty of events and the structural form is visible. Shajing Road; Metro Baoshan Road.