Excerpt: Zhejiang Private Penthouse is a residence designed by Interior Design Firm YuQiang & Partners and EK Design where the space is created through asymmetric, three-dimensional and curving forms of arrangement and the rebuilding of structure, light and shadow, and artworks. Considering functions and environmental protection, the designer did not reorganize the apartment’s structure but divided the functional layout of the space utilizing deconstructionism while proceeding from the perspective of creativity and art.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by Architect] For a female property owner who honors freedom and sharing and pursues art and fashion, a private resort residence needs to be elegant and serene, generating richness and belonging. Being sensitive to the property owner’s inner appeal and expectation, the designer also faces difficulty in restructuring. The project is an area of 650 square meters, a large floor flat formed through knocking two apartments. The primary space layout is fragmented, scattered, awkward, and too rigid and tedious. The space is divided symmetrically by four pillars, leading to a lack of flow in the interior.
Considering functions and environmental protection, the designer did not reorganize the apartment’s structure but divided the functional layout of the space utilizing deconstructionism while proceeding from the perspective of creativity and art. Through asymmetric, three-dimensional and curving forms of arrangement and the rebuilding of structure, light and shadow, and artworks, the space is extended and reshaped, becoming a private space. The space then combines multiple functions of a private resort, such as reception of guests and gathering, exchanges and entertainment.
1.Entrance lobby
The broad and bright entrance lobby is like an art gallery basking in natural light. The original artwork on the wooden wall is the million-yuan-worth 3D artwork by the surrealism artist Patrick Hughes, displaying the charm and fun of graphic arts and three-dimensional sculpture. The lively wood paint sculpture by artist Jacky Tsai combines traditional Oriental implication and Western pop color.
The spiral staircase in the entrance lobby contains both sense of sculpture and visual impact: the gorgeous and smooth line and the light dripped through the impluvium being smudged and diffused through the wired glass have injected great vitality into the initially low and dark entrance lobby. The 6-meter-high Bocci glass artwork is like a vine extending from the impluvium to the entrance lobby, full of vigor and a sense of layers.
2.Living room
The radius of the linear chandelier in the two-story-high living room is 3 meters long. On the two sides below the chandelier lie a variety of elegant furniture: beige Moroso main sofa, Cassina oak coffee table, handmade animal-foot-shaped bronze Traccia side table designed by artist Dalí, Gubi blue velvet armchair of retro fashion in the mid-20th century, Boffi wooden armchair and colorful cc-tapis wool carpet.
The linear design behind the sofa serves as the artistic screen, connecting the two-story space, the entrance lobby, the living room and the dining room. The design also helps to supplement an open and shared space with layers.
3. Dining room
As the transitional space between the living and dining rooms, the bar-shaped marble table and the dark green stool chairs exude a relaxing atmosphere with exquisiteness and modernity. Lighting artist Ingo Maurer designs the chandelier above the dining table. The free and swanky white tableware combine explosively, vertically pointing to the centre of the table.
To balance space relations and set off a hospitable dining atmosphere, the designer also chose wood paint carved paintings with bright colors as decoration.
4. Tearoom
The oak chairs in the tearoom perfectly complement the rattan armchair in the living room. Ingo Maurer designs the creative post-its chandelier, and rock-style genius Tom Dixon designs the long brass table.
Behind the wooden wall hides a chess and poker room.
5. Gentle Structure
From the beginning of the “gentle hurricane”, the spiral staircase and the “fragmented” wooden veneer unrolls, redefining the temperament of the space.
The arc-shaped wall plays down the stiffness of the original layout; while breaking the whole into parts, the multiple overlapping, splitting and dividing approach also breathes life into the space. For instance, the background wall of the bedrooms, beneath the impluvium, and behind the wood veneer of the wine cellar shelf boards, light strips hidden behind the layout all reinforce the sense of “deconstruction”.
6. Bedrooms
The comfortable bed of the primary bedroom is B&B Italia, with exemplary contemporary design. A generally light-colored wooden veneer forms the bedside background wall. The surface is divided into several units differing in size and shape, constituting the meaning of “falling moon and rising sun” together with the round-shaped wall light.
The four suits of the secondary bedroom all adopt soft and elegant warm white color, simple but artistic furniture, romantic and bold carpet.