Capitol Theatre is one of Shanghai’s historic Art Deco buildings, sitting at the southern end of Zhapu Lu Bridge by Suzhou Creek. Completed in 1928, the building was designed by Hungarian architect Charles Henry Gonda and originally combined a cinema, offices and apartments — a relatively new concept for Shanghai at the time. Its ground-floor Capitol Theatre quickly became one of the city’s most fashionable cinemas, screening British and American films and even becoming the first Shanghai cinema to show Paramount Pictures releases. With its curved facade, tower structure and Paris-inspired Art Deco style, the building reflects the city’s early 20th-century mix of international influences. Today, while the theatre itself is no longer operating, the historic building remains part of the Bund area’s architectural landscape and a reminder of Shanghai’s old cinema culture.