Columbia Circle Pool

Day 1 in Shanghai, I walked to Columbia Circle from my hotel. It is based in the old French Quarter. It's a historical compound that used to house, among other things, the old Navy Club, the Columbia Country Club - a popular hangout for Americans in the 20s and 40s--and a mansion built for Sun Ke, the son of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. 

After the end of World War II, it contained a biological institute and then lay vacant for a few years, before a local investment group rented it in 2016 and started major renovations to the area. It now features gardens, art and history displays, nightlife, compounds, offices, club house, gym, bookstore, restaurants and cafes. 

One of the main design features of Columbia Circle is the swimming pool-that's-now just-for-looks at the compound's center, bordered by loggia-style architecture on all sides. It looks like something out of a movie, as if you might see see Daniel Craig sauntering around the corridors.

Columbia Circle is a historically important 4.7 hectare site, including preserved colonial monuments and former industrial buildings, now surrounded by modern high-rises. The club’s original buildings were designed in 1924 by American architect Elliott Hazzard for the American elite society. The beautifully tiled pool was the first and only indoor pool that was open to the sky in Shanghai. It is still in pristine condition, and was an easy choice for my blip of the day.