Skyline apartment located in a luxury compound in Lujiazui, the financial district and business heart of Shanghai. Surrounded by skyscrapers, the 240 sqm apartment is a contemporary home for a modern Chinese family. As requested by the client, the design features natural materials and light colors in order to create an urban retreat from the crowded and chaotic city.
The entrance divides the plan functionally, separating the open plan living area, with dining and tea space, from the night area.
A custom-made furniture is the key element of the project: it unfolds and transform through the whole apartment, from the entrance till the living area and bedroom, changing its function on the way from welcoming bench and cabinet, to shoes storage, boiserie, library and even bedroom doors.
The entrance hall has a minimal design. Each function of the space is characterized by the use of different materials and colors: a dark oak wood bench with shelves in the welcoming area and two grey lacquered cabinets for jackets and shoes in the corridor area.
The luxury living room has a tonal color palette of grey, white and brown: a big modern sofa fills the center of the circular space and visually divide the living room from the tea area.
The custom made TV set is inspired by traditional partition used in some contemporary Asian tea houses.
Contrast of materials and colors have been used to highlight different functions and areas of the house. For example, in the living area, the custom-made cabinets (respectively in dark oak wood and gun grey metal) and two different floor materials (white oak and grey stone) virtually divide the space, creating a clear borderline between tea room and the dining area.
The night area has two bedrooms, each one has equipped with independent walking closet and en-suite bathroom, and a private studio that can be occasionally used as guest room.
The master bedroom features a wooden cube whose functions are multiple and work at different scales. It is a furniture, because it works as library and cabinet. It is a room, because it incorporates and conceals the private bathroom. It organizes the space functionally, because its volume generates an intimate area for the makeup corner and hides the bed from the room entrance.