Rong Zongjing's former residence (now PRADA Rongzhai) No. 186, North Shaanxi Road

The story of the Rong family has been written in many biographies by researchers, so we will not do "archaeology". Rong Zongjing's former residence was first built in 1908. The original owner was a German Jew. Today, the original Star of David pattern floor tiles can still be seen in the foyer of the old residence. In 1918, Rong Zongjing spent money to buy this mansion and garden, and carried out several expansions within a few years, making it one of the top mansions in Shanghai at that time. In January 1932, the Rong family received the League of Nations investigation team and held a banquet for 100 people in the Rongzhai garden. A stage was often built in the Rongzhai garden to invite famous actors to perform on the stage. However, Rong Zongjing's peaceful days in this mansion only lasted for more than ten years. When the Anti-Japanese War broke out in 1937, Rong Zongjing fled Shanghai to Hong Kong and died of illness in Hong Kong in February 1938. The real highlight of Rong Zongjing’s former residence is PRADA Group’s “textbook-like restoration of old buildings.” After liberation, Rongzhai was first used as an office space for the Democratic Party, and was leased by Murdoch News Corporation in the 1990s. In 2011, Jing'an District successfully introduced the international brand PRADA Group. PRADA reached a long-term lease agreement with Shanghai Jiushi Group, the owner of the property rights of Rongzhai, and began a 6-year meticulous renovation. The project was restored based on the original drawings. Rongzhai used a large amount of stained glass. The patterns of each stained glass are exquisite. Some symbolize Rong's entrepreneurial path, some are like church windows, and some are symbols of modernity. columnar pattern. Not only is the pattern of the stained glass strictly designed in accordance with the original drawings, but the craftsmanship also has to be "renovated to look like the old". In addition, the manufacturing of glazed tiles and floor tiles also requires a lot of ingenuity, some of which are fired in foreign countries. The stone for the marble chandelier is sourced from Italy. The copper brackets are made using ancient bronze craftsmanship. The Italian engineers at the decoration site all do it themselves. operational. PRADA should invest heavily in the renovation of Rong Zhai. PRADA’s flagship store in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and its Venice flagship store are also examples of the combination of old building restoration and fashion brands. Since 2017, the restored PRADA Rongzhai has been open to the public by holding art exhibitions every year. It has always been the most popular internet celebrity check-in spot for young literary and artistic people.