PROJECT

DESCRIPTION

Project Name: Pearl River Blooming City Sales Center
Location: Guangzhou, China
Design Company: MTO DESIGN
Chief Designer: Rey Yaw, Yangjun, Kevin Chow, Ben Shaw
Assistant Designer: Millie Huang, Tingting Mo, Jiangqi Jiang
Cost: 6000 yuan/㎡
Design Cycle: October 2021 to March 2022
Main Materials: artistic paint, environment-friendly coiled material with texture, wood veneer, artificial stone, stainless steel, artistic glass, brick, etc
Client Name: Yongte Pan, Yingsheng Xu, Bingqi Zheng
Photographer: Miangui Huang
Since water is the accumulation of humanity, and township represents emotional support, water in hometown is not only the epitome of homesickness but also a common emblem of nature and life. The continuous Pearl River system flows through Lingnan, cutting through countless mountains and refreshing the region’s lotus beauty, thus enhancing local and cultural memories of the area. Based on traditional Lingnan architecture, humanities, together with art, and other qualities, the designer in this design utilizes modern techniques to channel “hometown water” into the architectural area.
The designer translates the idea of “hometown water” into the element of water drops, with a large waterfall device to interpret the water drops slanting down, to converge a pool of magnificent scene in the center of the space. Looking up at the sky dripping water weaving curtain, overlooking the front area light waves into the scene The spiraling, overlapping clear drops naturally focus the visual center on the foreground by amassing the natural aura of water and the sense of life.

The four seasons are different, and water seems to abide by the rule of nature. The material selection of the water takes advantage of appearance and texture that can be used to describe the moist attitude of the vernal equinox water, which “benefits all things without rivalry.” The image of “spring wave” is revealed when the vivid cyan green and transparent, luminous plexiglass are organically mixed. The apparent hardness of the cool decorative stone is neutralized by the warm sense of things, allowing the rain’s vibrant atmosphere to radiate forth from the core. In order to give traditional humanistic symbols new life and relevance, the designer has recreated traditional solar terms using contemporary design methods.
In the sandbox area, the seriousness of “old items” and the ceremonial sense of “new works” are emphasized through the usage of art museum style. The designers gathered, deconstructed, and recreated several historical artefacts gathered throughout time in order to preserve the essence and soul of Lingnan culture, which allows the eternal humanistic spirit to be merged into the contemporary geometric framework. The fusion of traditional and contemporary architectural techniques not only emphasizes the theme of “old items and new works,” but it also emphasizes the design idea of renewal.
The Lingnan architectural culture has its own style, establishing the characteristics of “inside sealing and exterior opening,” due to its regional particularity of the mountainous coastal location. The negotiation area adheres to an ancient architectural notion such that autonomous self-consistency and external tolerance are simultaneous. The teahouse-style home display form makes it easier for guests to form an emotional atmosphere of their own, and the semi-open art glass partition keeps the space’s continuity, adaptability, and inclusivity. Bounded art design and unbounded emotional atmosphere are intertwined here, giving the traditional classic in the modern life scene new life.
The spatial center of gravity of the recreation space is formed by the LED screen, stairs, water bar, and tea area. Each component is joined together by distinctive Guangdong cultural features, which not only replicate the traditional aesthetic form of the Guangdong school but also carry over the memory temperature of the old Guangdong. The historic Guangdong “one cup and two pieces” of tea daily is placed in a lot of corners and lines to build the order space, with both Chinese and western attitude for Guangdong culture. In addition, the designer uses lessons from Shanghai style to change the life scene.
A Manchurian window represents the architectural eye of Lingnan. “Windows open the divide between nature and humans, draw wind and sun into interior, and keep part of spring inside the house, so that we can sit and enjoy it without stepping outside,” wrote Qian Zhongshu in his book Windows. Manchurian Windows, a classic example of Lingnan architecture, enhance the borrow and view by optimizing the internal and external environment with a rich feeling of hierarchy.
The Manchurian flower-window screen is made of metal and acrylic by the designer rather than the heavy, stiff wood and glass. The designer fully inherits and carries forward the creative qualities of “the union of Chinese and Western” of the Lingnan School of painting while also eliminating the heaviness of conventional materials, smoothing the reaction and alteration of light and shadow in this space.
The IP design “Zhuzai” is created with the concept of “taking water and thinking of source” in order to add cultural interest. The designer has created a straightforward, approachable graphic that, when combined with traditional tea art actions, concretizes Guangdong tea culture in a fresh, modern way. The adorable and intriguing graphic conveys the brand’s desire for new customs and antiquities as well as its intense focus on both design and its own identity.
“Ole items and new works” and “New ancient rhyme” make new alterations based on a profound understanding of old culture in addition to expressing traditional features using new architectural materials. The design team from a Mitu amenable to the “hometown water” begins to write, taking advantage of modern design tools to redraw Lingnan culture, which will be good for the inheritance and development of Lingnan school characteristics. They also let the ancient humanistic spirit in the young line frame body, which emerges from the curious and innocent heart, to design the magic idea to achieve the artistic effect of “rejuvenation,” encouraging the development of Lingnan culture.