In 1894, a British architect named Brenan Atkinson founded an architecture company, then another famous architect Arther Dallas joined 4 years later, forming the firm ‘Atkinson & Dallas’. In just a few years, Atkinson & Dallas has become one of the best architectural firms in Shanghai. Its Chinese name was mistakenly named ‘美丰大楼’ （Chinese American Bank of Commerce building） by people then, hence its Chinese name is unrelated to  ‘Atkinson & Dallas’.

After the building was completed, its blushing red bricks, gorgeous arcs, and lively Baroque decorations drew the attention of passers-by. At the end of the 19th century, this three-story office building was one of the tallest buildings on the street. Offices of merchants, foreign firms, law firms, accounting firms, real estate companies, and architectural firms gathered together here, including the famous "Architects Association in China". This place used to be a veritable gathering place for Shanghai's architectural elites. After 1949, this once noisy office building became a quiet residential house. By the end of the last century, the exterior wall of the building was damaged, and the roof and the stairs collapsed obviously, resembling an old man in his dying years.

At the beginning of the 21st century,  the centenarian ZA · Andrews & George Building experienced modernization: ROCKBUND invited David Chipperfield Architects, the master of minimalist architecture, to preside over the renovation design of the building. While retaining its original three-story exterior wall structure, the buildings above four floors "grow" from the old walls. It turned into a 60-meter-high building that combines old and new. This was the first architechture in Shanghai that applied this innovative technique.

Architectural watercolor painting by: Lu Jun