Red Swastika 卍 Society – Qingdao Old Town

The Red Swastika Society of Qingdao (世界红卍字会), located near Ocean University of China’s original campus, is a unique part of Qingdao Old Town’s tumultuous past. This European building, designed by Wang Han from China, is constructed of stone, wood, and reinforced concrete. The front porch is supported by four Roman columns with a tower that stresses the central axis. Square windows, with the Red Swastika 卍 prominent in the iron work, are set in the walls on all sides of the building.

Granites are used at the plinths as well as the window frames. The hall has a glass roof with winding corridors that connect the office rooms. The complex, enclosed by a red wall of glazed tiles, covers a ground area of 14,183.40 square meters with a floor space of 4,108.24 square meters. At present, the former site of the Red Swastika 卍 Society of Qingdao is used by the Qingdao Bureau of Culture as the Qingdao Art Gallery & Museum.

青岛红”卍“字会旧址由两部分组成，先后分三期建成。先期为中国古典宫殿式建筑和藏经楼，1933年开工建设，由青岛建筑师刘铨法设计，公和兴营造厂施工。1940年，教会在南侧又建造了一所仿欧式建筑，南侧主入口设一排四根罗马复合柱式构成正门前的外廊，檐口正中高起塔楼，强调中轴关系，两侧墙面上开启方窗，采用花岗岩石勒脚和粗石窗套。进入大厅为以开敞的通高式空间，顶部配以玻璃屋顶，四周则以回廊环绕连通于各办公间。该建筑属折衷式风格，钢筋混凝土结构，由中国建筑师王翰设计。该建筑占地面积14183.40平方米，建筑面积4108.24平方米，用于置玻璃瓦的红墙围之。现为青岛文化局使用。

Site of the former Red Swastika 卍 Society of Qingdao
7 DaXue Road
Built in 1940
Shinan District, Shandong Province, Qingdao. P.R. China
青岛红”卍“字会旧址: 中国山东省青岛市南区 大学路7号

Photograph © Colton Dirks