Shanghai Xujiahui, as one of the birthplaces of Shanghai style culture, carries the profound memory of modern cultural exchanges between China and the West.
Within the Xujiahui Yuan Scenic Area, there are numerous historical buildings such as the Catholic Church, the Library, the former site of Xuhui Public School, and the Observatory.
They are not only physical remains, but also anchor points for the collective memory of the city.
Among them, the Xujiahui Catholic Church (St.
Ignatius Cathedral), built in 1910, has long dominated the regional skyline and spiritual high ground with its century Gothic style and towering silhouette of twin towers.
However, before the construction of Xujiahui Academy, the urban texture around the church once appeared fragmented and disorderly.
The original archive building and its surrounding environment failed to effectively fulfill the function of highlighting the main position of the church, and the boundaries of the square space were blurred, lacking the necessary sense of ceremony and publicness.
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