Prada Restores Historic Shanghai Villa as Cultural Space

Prada has opened Prada Rong Zhai, a restored 1918 historic residence in Shanghai's Jing'an district, as a flexible cultural venue. The meticulous restoration began in 2011 and was completed with attention to original plasterwork and stained glass. The villa was declared a cultural heritage site in 2004 and listed among Shanghai's most interesting historic buildings in 2005. Originally built for magnate Yung Tsoong-king (Rong Zongjin), the property was purchased by his family in 1918. Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli stated that architecture has always inspired Prada, and the project reflects their commitment to Chinese culture and Sino-European dialogue. The opening exhibition, running until November 12, showcases the restoration work alongside Prada's previous projects in Milan and Venice, supervised by architect Roberto Baciocchi, and the Epicenters in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Tokyo designed by OMA/Rem Koolhaas and Herzog & de Meuron, as well as Prada Transformer in Seoul and the new Fondazione Prada headquarters in Milan by Koolhaas and OMA.