Sanlin (top is 1929, bottom is 1945).
These old buildings are handsome, but not especially decorative or unique. If the tin facade was removed, these buildings would fade into the background. I'd almost rather the thing was torn down and replaced with something taller. Other low-scale buildings on Canal Street should be preserved, but this one just ain't that special.
Maybe I'd feel differently if the low-scale buildings were more efficiently used. Most of them have a store on the ground floor and emptiness above. It's easy to tell - just look for a door on Canal Street leading to a stairway. You'll see that almost none of them have access to the upper floors, except possibly a private stair somewhere in the back. I know the DDD was trying to encourage the re-use of these spaces, but it ain't gonna happen without some serious incentives.