The spot where Shanghai Centre stands today was occupied by two red-bricked, double-story, English-style buildings with expansive lawns, home to the Xinhua News Agency. To the left and right were local Shikumen-style residences. Aside from the unprecedented scale of the project, the architecture of Shanghai Centre represented a radical departure from the norm, combining strong elements of traditional Chinese design and Eastern symbolism, including thick columns painted in classic red, with elegant Art Deco influences of Shanghai’s colonial past. It was a daring design concept that received a sensational response from the very beginning.

Shanghai Centre opened its doors in different phases. The East Residential Tower opened first in May 1990. This was followed by the hotel (then called The Portman Hotel) which, at a height of 165 meters, was the tallest building in Shanghai at that time. The West Residential Tower was the last to open. The Shanghai Centre Theatre, the only performing arts center in China that was designed, built and managed by foreign interests, gave its inaugural show in August 1990 with a performance by the Shanghai Dance Troupe and the Hong Kong Ballet.

Shanghai Centre’s official opening was held over three days starting from October 13, 1990. The city’s first modern skyscraper hosted some 6,000 visitors during the opening, including senior Chinese officials and foreign dignitaries. Not soon afterwards, the immensely popular project enjoyed an extremely long waiting list of companies vying for the limited serviced apartments, office and retail space.

The Marriott Group was given management of the hotel in 1997, and subsequently opened the first Ritz-Carlton hotel in China. Today, The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai remains one of the largest Ritz-Carlton hotel in the world with 593 guestrooms. As one of China’s only three Platinum Five-Star hotels, the highest hotel designation, The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai has played host to many international delegations and Heads of State, including all five U.S. President who have stayed in Shanghai.

In September 2019, at the expiration of the cooperative joint venture, Shanghai Centre was returned to the Chinese partner, the Shanghai Exhibition Group (SEG), which owns the iconic Shanghai Exhibition Center across the street. Under SEG’s guidance, the project continues to represent the heart of Nanjing Road West and remains one of the most sought-after addresses in the city.