After more than a year, renovations near completion on the Hengshan Garden Hotel, which was created from the merger of the former 89-year-old Picardie Apartment and the neighboring Jiushi Hengshan Hotel. Photo: VCG

The newly renovated hotel boasts more than 300 guest rooms. Photo: VCG

A waiter tidies up a table in the hotel’s Western restaurant on Thursday. Photo: VCG

Art deco motifs have been integrated into the design of the hotel elevator. The style, known for mixing elements from the East and West, became popular in Shanghai around the 1930s. Photo: VCG

The hotel’s foyer features streamlined geometric motifs, an iconic example of art deco architecture. Photo: VCG

The hotel’s garden, which sprawls more than 1,000 square meters, was crafted from a converted tennis court. Photo: VCG

The facelift that began at the end of 2020, the fifth such renovation, has restored the building’s historic 1930s appearance. Photo: VCG

The building was renamed the Hengshan Hotel after its conversion in 1955. In the 1980s, several guest rooms and a sightseeing elevator were added, as well as a rooftop garden. Photo: Courtesy of the publicity department of Xuhui district in Shanghai

The 15-story building was completed in 1934 as the Picardie Apartment. Photo: Courtesy of publicity department of Xuhui district in Shanghai

The building was constructed by the International Savings Society. The French financial institution was active in Shanghai from the 1920s to the 1930s. Photo: Courtesy of publicity department of Xuhui district in Shanghai