1933 Old Millfun

The 1933 Milfun series invites us into the haunting beauty of a historic slaughterhouse in the Hongkou district of Shanghai.

Designed in 1933 by the British architect Balfours, this monumental structure, the largest of its kind in the Far East, is a testament to industrial architecture with its formidable 50 cm thick concrete walls, designed to maintain a cool interior even during the sweltering summer months.

The main factory building, a vast 32,500 square meters complex, rises over five floors and is surrounded by four auxiliary factory buildings positioned in the cardinal directions.

Its interior is a maze of corridors, walkways, stairs, and bridges, each varying in width and purpose. These pathways were meticulously planned to control the movement of animals, with narrower bridges providing a refuge for cattle drivers in the event of a stampede.

This series is intended to reveal the intricate network of connections that once managed the flow and separation of livestock, now standing as a silent reminder of the building's past. Each image captures the interplay of light and shadow, emphasizing its labyrinthine structure.

1933 Old Millfun

50 years Later