Begin with the Majestic Theatre
The Majestic Theatre, 美琪大戏院, opened in 1941. Architectural historian Zhang Xiaochun's account in Wenhui identifies Fan Wenzhao as its architect, Yang Kuanlin as structural engineer and Fu Kee as the building contractor. Remembering the collaborators makes the history more accurate than attaching everything to one famous name.
The same account reads the building through both modern design and Art Deco. Those terms become useful when you look for the decisions they describe, rather than treating either as a decorative stamp applied to the whole facade.
A public building has a sequence
Think about arriving for a performance. There is the moment you identify the building, the approach to a door, the threshold and the transition toward a seat. Some of that sequence can be considered from the street; other parts require legitimate access.
Ask how a theatre makes a large group feel that they have arrived somewhere special while still getting everyone inside. The practical movement of an audience and the atmosphere of an evening belong to the same design problem.
Look for form before ornament
From the pavement, begin with the overall mass, the relationship between solid walls and openings, and the way the entrance is emphasized. Then move to a smaller detail. If you start with a piece of decoration, it is easy to miss the organization that gives it a role.
Use photographs as questions rather than evidence that a building has never changed. A different sign, altered entrance or restored finish can belong to a later chapter. Distinguish what you can observe today from a claim about the original design.
Give Chinese architects their own stories
Fan's work is worth reading alongside Hudec's, without turning the comparison into a contest. Who commissioned a building? What was its intended use? What expertise did its makers bring? Those questions help replace a generalized story about 'old Shanghai' with named people and particular decisions.
A performance venue also has its own present-day life. Check the official program and admission arrangements if you want to go inside. To include the Majestic in your time with Edward, ask about a custom itinerary.