Peace Hotel North Building · Sassoon House

The beginning

Why was it built here?

The green peak north of Nanjing East Road belongs to Sassoon House, now the Peace Hotel’s North Building. Financed by Victor Sassoon, it originally combined a hotel, shops and offices; the Cathay Hotel was its most celebrated part.[1]

It is a different building from the Palace Hotel south of the street. The South Building was built earlier and only later acquired the Peace Hotel name. Distinguishing Nos. 20 and 19 places the hotel stories in old photographs on the correct street corner.[1]

Look up, then look closer

Three details worth a closer look

One building, changing roles

History unfolds between the photographs

From earlier buildings to the one standing today. Captions distinguish photographic dates from publication dates; periods without reliable images are covered in the text.

1. 1926

   Old buildings make way for a tower

   Sassoon began demolishing the existing houses and commissioned Palmer & Turner. Hotel, office and retail uses were planned together.[1]

2. 1929

   The Cathay Hotel welcomes guests

   Sassoon House was completed and the Cathay Hotel opened, becoming a new landmark where Nanjing Road meets the Huangpu River.[1] [2]

3. 1930s

   A hotel in international travel memory

   Leiden University’s image collection preserves a street view of the Cathay Hotel. The source records publication in 1933, not an exact exposure date; it shows the North Building, not the Palace Hotel across the street.[1]

   Enlarge ＋

4. 1956

   The Peace Hotel name appears

   After changes of use, the hotel reopened as the Peace Hotel. Its familiar name dates from this stage.[1]

5. 1965

   North and South become a pair

   After the former Palace Hotel was incorporated, the buildings on either side of Nanjing East Road became the South and North Buildings. These names describe a management relationship, not their separate construction histories.[1]

6. 2007–2010

   Restoration and reopening

   After restoration, the North Building reopened in 2010 as the Fairmont Peace Hotel, continuing its hotel function.[4]

7. Today

   Hospitality and architectural memory

   The hotel still operates. The Peace Museum presents its history through photographs and objects. Confirm eligibility and reservations with the hotel.[2] [3]

Shanghai and the world

A trade and hotel network from Bombay to Shanghai

The Sassoon family’s business linked Shanghai with ports including Bombay. In the twentieth century, property and hotels gave these overseas connections a visible architectural form; travellers, restaurants, banquets and music added everyday memories.[1]