Shanghai’s first Film Museum by Coordination Asia

Chinese firm Coordination Asia has transformed a 15,000 sqm former film studio into the ‘Shanghai Film Museum‘, the first center dedicated to documenting and promoting the city’s cinematic history. Located in Shanghai’s downtown Xujiahui, the new museum boasts 4 floors, over 70 interactive installations and a collection of 3,000 historic exhibits. As the first film museum in the city, the museum will have a leading role in maintaining the international position of Shanghai film and raising awareness for the industry’s value on a national level.

Visitors of the museum can meet and greet the most prominent faces and places in Shanghai’s film history and can come closer than ever to celebrities and film sets that are usually out of reach. A 4D photo album showcases memories and personal stories of film professionals, and shows how film slowly but surely became a part of daily life in the city of Shanghai. Shanghai’s most successful film studios are celebrated and brought to life by a mix of objects and multimedia. A highlight is a glimpse into the archives of these ‘dream factories’ in ‘The River of Dreams’, a 50 meters long interactive ‘stream’ of films from 1949 up until today. Through a touch and play application, the visitor can ‘catch’ films in this stream and learn more about them.

The new museum is not only a ‘temple of history’; it makes a conscious and clear link to the present and future of filmmaking by integrating fully equipped real-time production studios, in which visitors can participate in the craft of filmmaking.