Shanghai Exposed Photography - Demolition

By Emily Wetzki, June 24, 2014

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In the first of our monthly photo galleries from renowned Shanghai photography group Shanghai Exposed, we look at the ever burgeoning force of demolition in the city. The great leap ahead. Full steam forward. Shanghai is constantly moving. 

Images by Darrell Lew

Beyond the moving cars, buses, bicycles, scooters and bi-peds, many parts of the city lay in ruins just on the other side of the temporary concrete walls along its humble streets.

It is here that the silent minority are easily forgotten about where living conditions are limited to makeshift kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms with some having open air walls and ceilings as the demolition progress occurs around them.

Images by David Atkin

Amongst the now piled bricks, wooden beams and doors were once prominent Shikumen style dwellings.

Images by Fran Gubbey

Images by Gerry Abbot

This is Shanghai's architectural legacy. As the appetite to satisfy a more densely packed and ever growing population.

These once charming Shikumen blocks have been giving way to modern high-rise apartment compounds, less the much needed shopping malls to boot.

Images by Alister Penn

Capturing images of yesterday's Shanghai often gives you a surreal sense of displacement yet filled with forward progress and opportunity.

Images by Rhoda Richardson

Go out and find them, peek behind those walls and you'll likely find the old giving way to the new. 

Shanghai Exposed is a photography group whose founding purpose is to see the city, camera in hand, capturing the sights, scenes and life in and around Shanghai. From demolition to new beginnings, they want to capture a slice of history as it is on a break-neck pace to build, build, build! Interested in joining the group? Email shanghaiexposed@gmail.com for more details. Both new and accomplished photographers are welcome to join in bi-monthly meetings where discussions and image sharing take place. 

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