PROJECT
DESCRIPTION

**Convergence of Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Splendor**
This project is located within the inner ring of Shanghai, in the Yangpu Dongwaitan area, adjacent to the city's core living circle, honoring contemporary talents while preserving cultural heritage. The overall design integrates oriental elements to enhance the sense of experience and recognition. The spatial layout is meticulously structured, with each step offering new vistas and progressive layers, creating an exploratory atmosphere. From the "Elegant Gathering" theme in the ground-floor lobby to the "Knowledge of Objects" in the 15th-floor art gallery, and finally to the "Garden Tour" in the 16th-floor clubhouse, oriental elements run throughout, maintaining the logical coherence and completeness of the design. This project aims to continue and reshape the essence of traditional Eastern culture in a modern context, creating a place where ancient and contemporary cultural elements merge.
While some love the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, others favor the refined elegance of Song Dynasty literati. HAD YIWEI Design draws inspiration from the Song Dynasty's "Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden," incorporating five sophisticated scenes from paintings to achieve a seamless integration of Song aesthetic principles with modern craftsmanship, offering a place for the soul to reside.
The lobby theme, "Elegant Gathering," progresses from the front hall to the corridor, sequentially constructing five scenes: "Welcome / Etiquette / Ode / Elegance / Zen." The entrance features a core image using an expressive ink painting technique, capturing rolling mountains and misty rivers, continually exuding timeless charm. Overlaying Wang Mai's representative work "Niannujiao · Juitai Beyond the Clouds"—highlighting the character "Read"—with contemporary design methods and material contrasts, it pays homage to Song Dynasty masters, merging time and spirit into a subtle and indistinct ambiance.
The spatial layout adopts the symmetrical configuration of traditional Chinese architecture, extracting the peaceful and introverted aesthetic from oriental spirit and emotions, embodying the charm of "Meeting Friends with Courtesy." The arrangement of incense burners, floral arrangements, and books on tables harks back to the Song Dynasty lifestyle, offering a warm and elegant experience, creating a trans-temporal connection. The tea break area, themed "Enjoyable Chess Playing," merges the enjoyment of mountains and waters with elegant banquets. The design extensively uses wooden grilles combined with modern décor, through floral arrangements, seats, and lighting, reconstructing the original structure of the space with oriental etiquette, creating a noble and elegant hall space.
Connecting to the high-level space through the corridor, one can admire "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains," experiencing the majestic natural scenery, leading to a state of "Zen Enlightenment."
The 15th-floor art gallery continues the "Song Charm" theme of the ground-floor lobby, using spatial art to construct a lifestyle aesthetic. This new experiential space integrates art display and cultural exchange, emphasizing the quality and style of Chinese culture. The mountain and water screen at the front hall catches the eye upon entering, echoing the ancient saying, "Seeing mountains as mountains and waters as waters," transitioning to "Seeing mountains not as mountains and waters not as waters," and finally returning to "Seeing mountains as mountains and waters as waters"—a process of Zen enlightenment. In the art gallery, HAD YIWEI Design incorporates the story theme of "Joy of Swimming Fish," where viewing fish was considered an elegant leisure activity by the Song people. A green fish ornament and Su Shi's poetry installation welcome guests. The display area focuses on old Shanghai's history, while the resting area features goldfish embroidery artworks, echoing the "Joy of Swimming Fish" theme, creating a space rich in traditional Chinese cultural essence.
Reaching the 16th-floor clubhouse, the "Joy of Swimming Fish" theme is further elaborated with diverse materials, making the overall space both stable and full of surprising highlights. The goldfish painting hidden on the coffee table and the carved "Read" character in the sofa negotiation area create an interactive experience with guests. The calligraphy area by the window, with its comfortable dimensions, evokes a scene of freehand brushwork. The custom-made marble chandelier on the dining table, adorned with water wave patterns, showcases the natural texture of the stone under the light. The ceramic handmade artworks on the sculpture platform and the agarwood ivory carvings on the sideboard narrate the owner's refined artistic taste.
Tea culture in the Song Dynasty, from emperors to commoners, was considered the epitome of elegance and sophistication. Today, inviting friends to enjoy fine tea, HAD YIWEI Design meticulously crafted the tea break area with a hidden electric tea table, offering both practicality and decoration. The mother-of-pearl carvings on the back of the tea chairs shine green under different lights, aligning with the overall Song aesthetic.
Finally, the rooftop garden, constructed with oriental landscaping principles, represents a sanctuary for body and mind, expressing an ultimate expansive view. The moon and stone are common symbols in Chinese gardens: the bright moon, serene and mysterious, and the stone, resilient and eternal, together creating a tranquil and harmonious scene. The landscape sculpture inspires philosophical contemplation, enhancing the Zen enlightenment ambiance.
At the highest point of the rooftop garden, the viewing pavilion, through the interplay of furniture, carpets, lighting, and music, offers a comfortable retreat for riverside negotiations. The overall rooftop garden pursues rational thinking and expressive techniques, merging poetry and philosophy, emphasizing the harmonious unity of nature and humanity. The simple and textured forms emphasize the essence and function of objects, eschewing excessive decoration, presenting a sense of serenity and harmony, aligning perfectly with Song culture, blending the ancient and the modern, and sparking new inspiration.