Abelardo Lafuente García-Rojo

Abelardo Lafuente the Spanish architect of Shanghai's Golden Era

Abelardo Lafuente Garcia-Rojo (Madrid 1871 – Shanghai 1931) was a Spanish architect^[1] and entrepreneur who had his own studio in colonial Shanghai.^[2] Between 1913 and 1931 he was the only Spaniard to have an architect studio registered in the city; Lafuente collaborated with several contemporary architects. Lafuente blended the mozarab and moorish styles from Spain into Chinese architecture. In 2009, the Spanish architect Alvaro Leonardo Perez established the Lafuente Research Project. The findings of this project were first presented at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes. The Lafuente Research Project is ongoing.

History

Lafuente's professional career began in Manila. His studio was named A. Lafuente Architect & Contractor. In 1913 Lafuente moved to Shanghai where he opened a new studio named A. Lafuente Garcia-Rojo, Architect & Contractor. Later, Lafuente joined American architect G. O. Wootten to form the Lafuente & Wootten studio. The two architects worked together for several years, their most notable work being the ballroom at the Astor House Hotel, built in 1917. After this period he maintained the studio on his own and called it A. Lafuente Gª Rojo Architect. Afterwards he partnered with Russian architect A. J. Yaron, changing the studio's name once again to Lafuente & Yaron.

For the better part of the following 10 years Lafuente worked for the biggest hotel company in Asia at the time: the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd., rehabilitating and refurbishing their buildings. His most important work during this project was the Majestic Hotel^[3] (1924) where he designed its new ballroom (the most luxurious in Asia at that time). Some of his other projects included churches, mosques, private villas, apartment buildings, movie theaters, private clubs, and hospitals, among others.^[4][5]

His reputation in the Spanish colony is described in the book by Vicente Blasco Ibanez La vuelta al mundo de un novelista. Spanish entrepreneur Antonio Ramos^[6] was his most important influence during his time in China and his most outstanding client. Ramos brought motion pictures to China. Lafuente was commissioned to build some of Ramos' most important cinemas.

Lafuente also worked in North America. In Los Angeles and in Tijuana he built houses. During 1927–1930, Lafuente maintained operations in Shanghai while he developed his business in California and Mexico. At the end of this period, after being significantly affected by the Crash of 1929, he decided to return to Shanghai and undertake more projects there. He died in Shanghai at the Shanghai General Hospital in 1931, aged 60.

References

1. La Hora de Asia (21 May 2011). "Abelardo Lafuente: arquitectura española en Shanghai". Radio Nacional España (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 July 2012.
2. Aldama, Zigor (25 June 2011). "Un español en el Shanghái precomunista". Babelia 1.022 (in Spanish). El Pais. p. 24. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
3. "Hotel Majestic, the most important company's hotel in Shanghai". HSH. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
4. EFE, Agency (20 December 2011). "Un arquitecto español trabajando en la belle époque china" (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 July 2012.
5. "A Jewish Club for Shanghai". The north China Herald. 6 July 1918. pp. 29–30.
6. Revista de Occidente; Juan Ignacio Toro Escudero (June 2010). "Sombras orientales: Antonio Ramos y el primer cine chino" (349/350).