Xixi Wetland Estate

Hangzhou, China

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Xixi Wetland Estate

Hangzhou, China

Firm

HuangZhiYong Design Office

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$100M +

Forward
Xixi Paradise is located in the heart of Xixi Wetland style and cultural heritage. Its architecture is created by Pritzker laureate David Chipperfield. The square box of volcanic rock forms a subtle counterpoint to the natural landscape of the wetland. We hope that this creation rooted in the surrounding environment and history can be extended to living scenery with the consideration of "local spirit and local characteristics". Explore the positive relationships between habitation and environment, man and nature, and cultural attributes.
This project explored the lifestyle of natural and cultural connection. Three years ago, the beautiful encounter between Huang Zhiyong Design and Xixi Paradise gave us the opportunity to shift from the practice of public architecture to the subtle exploration of residential living. As the first systematic private residential project presided over by the firm, it took three years of meticulous polishing from design to delivery.The flowing life means the flowing creation, and the personalized home requires the designer to put down them acroscopic narrative and turn to a bold creation with the owner. The abstract sky, earth, man and nature are interpreted into touching and perceivable time, collecting light and stone light, starting from the design of respecting life, and finally created an art exhibition hall floating on the island, inviting nature into the home. Mansion makes Boundless light
The owner hopes that his home is eclectic and tailor-made, listening to the real needs and spiritual pursuit of customers has become an important part of the design service process. Therefore, starting with the conception of "space without boundaries", we try to create a frame relationship with the outdoor quality, so that it is away from the traditional appearance of private houses, and each design is to tell a storyline about life encounters.The final design idea is closely related to the story and daily life of the owner, and properly integrates the creative motif of the designer's continuous exploration. Guided by the spatial advantage of "light", the narrative is carried out through the three storylines of "Time", "Picking up light" and "Stone light", the perceptual creation is completed in the rational reshaping, and the public and private coexist, personality and tolerance are mutually nourished.
Trace of emotional attribution
Taking physical nature as inspiration, expressing the unspeakable spirit with the help of space, and designing in full compliance with the real inner needs, the home will have the unique aura of the owner. The story begins with a time memory of emotional ownership, carrying the owner's childhood memory at the seaside. In the underground floor of the entry space, the design uses the simple and powerful construction of stone, rubble stone, old wood, abstract one of the original natural field related to this memory.At the same time, because of the owner's passion for crystal collection, they use the huge original stone to create a booth, the stone hanging on the top of the stone through a complex lifting process placed, the bottom of the stone table base carved from the whole stone, white jade carved treasure phase lotus and stone table and water scenery appropriate, stone and stone, the achievement of a light and heavy intertext, a real and a virtual opposite, the space looks like floating in the island of art exhibition hall, It also helps the master realize the time of deja vu "looking back".
In terms of the overall design of the space, we do not pursue the fine order of meticulous brushwork, but fully enjoy the fun of creation and difficult seiko landing.
The interpretation of the owner's time story is not only about the material and structure, but also about the soft Chen that echoes it. Entering the reception area on the first floor of the ground floor, the original lacquered screen "Wind and Clouds Meeting" carries the dynamic imagination of the surging wind, making people's eyes fall to the special tea table nearby.
The owner was born and grew up in the seaside, was most impressed by the scene of waves crashing on the reef. Therefore, we washed boulders from the seaside and simulated the folds of waves in the interaction of wood and stone, abstracting this warm and intimate exclusive memory.Such communication and creation is the most cherished part of this design, which defines the scope of creativity, and makes each step of the design have a unique life scale. With this as the center, we also completed the exploration based on the original thinking of Eastern culture together with the owner.
In the basement reception area and the first-floor living room, the design innovatively uses entire walls to create spatial sculptures. Through immense mechanical lifting, tens of tons of stone slabs are placed through the skylight. The rough texture of the stone forms a powerful yet harmonious contrast with the refined indoor elements.
A waterfall cascading from the roof, framed by a glass curtain wall, creates a "Four Waters Returning to the Hall" structure, paying homage to tradition. Natural stone, sculpted and polished by artisans, reveals its innate texture, running through the entire vertical space and becoming the most continuous and striking feature of the area. These seemingly "forceful" implementation methods are precisely what define the essence of the home. The stone balances lightness and weight, setting the tone for the home's style, which is ultimately shaped by the owner's story and spiritual pursuits.
Picking up the daylight
Reflecting on the first time entering this space, the abundant natural light poured down luxuriously. The staircase, nestled between two light wells, inspired us to envision a romantic "picking up the light" scenario, where the family can fully enjoy the freedom of sunlight at any time of day.
Therefore, we chose to remove the floor and open up the two light well spaces. The entire scene became transparent and free, thanks to the overflow of light. Living in this space, no matter where you are, you can always bask in the sunlight.
Thanks to the presence of light, the narrative of the stone reached a new climax. The massive rocks from the seaside were stripped of their stone skins and pieced together. We invited top master sculptors from Hui'an to collaborate. A colossal four-meter stone was hand-carved on-site, with each texture undergoing 6-8 rounds of deep processing. The natural stone edging technique further accentuated the marks of time.Against the backdrop of wooden finishes and exquisite furnishings, the stone wall continues to showcase its raw and dynamic natural growth. A deliberate gap left in the wall symbolizes the owner's integrity and perseverance as a finance professional, embodying the saying, "Sincerity splits open even metal and stone." This gap conveys the design team's best wishes for the owner.By removing superfluous decorative details, we subtly embed the owner's narrative into every essential expression. This achievement stems from continuous communication with the owner and meticulous coordination with the construction team, striving to subtly convey the intricate craftsmanship. Through this reconstruction, we aim to rejuvenate the space, reconfiguring materials, dimensions, and light to imbue the area with new vitality that awakens a spiritual resonance and evokes a nuanced empathy engaging all five senses.While "picking up the light," we also collaborated with the owner’s family to incorporate the Chinese way of life into the space through artistic means. We revere tradition without being confined by it, aiming to explore contemporary expression within our cultural context. Therefore, the art form of lacquer, which embodies profound Eastern aesthetics, is consistently integrated into the soft furnishings of the space.In the dining area on the first floor, an original lacquer painting titled "Sunshine on the Golden Mountain" commands the atmosphere on the wall. Meanwhile, in the study and tea room, lacquer is transformed into a large table, subtly expressing a cultural consensus of shaping form according to materials, embodying diverse paths leading to the same destination.
Construction of earth landscape
It's evident that the owner's story resonates throughout the emotional narrative of the home, with the concrete imagery of "stone" extending to the entire space. The owner's fondness for stones, symbolizing both seeking guidance and pursuing personal preferences, guides the design. For designers, this exploration of sustainable and renewable materials marks a new stage of creative freedom.
Setting off from my hometown of Quanzhou, Hui'an, and journeying through various local architectural practices in the countryside, stone emerges as the most familiar architectural language. At Yuezhuang, it unlocks memories with scales of varying sizes, and through the artisan's artistic reconstruction, it embodies the life flow pertaining to the "present moment."
Using stone to reshape the surface of the space, enhancing comfort and security on both physical and mental levels, is an immensely challenging choice. Transitioning from indoors to the outdoor courtyard, several tons of whole stones are lifted on-site by heavy-duty cranes, transformed into ground surfaces, stone bridges, and artificial hills. Integrated with the surrounding greenery and wetland ecology, these elements harmonize with the changing seasons. The architecture appears to grow organically from nature, providing the owner with a familiar yet refreshing and cozy retreat where they can indulge in tea, appreciate the scenery, and relax, reminiscent of a comforting scene from memory.
Through the intervention of stone, the functional attributes of space are blurred on a sensory level. Within the domestic space, stone evolves unexpectedly into one earthly landscape after another, offering an unexpected sense of scale and temporality. While seemingly subtle in its use, stone achieves aesthetic goals of enriching spatial tension and reconstructing emotional experiences within the narrative of space.
Curatorial design
The curation-style creation of artistic experiences intertwines closely with spatial design, especially with the extensive deployment of wood and stone. This home exists in a state of continuous growth, with sunlight and wind leaving their marks as people use the space and time progresses. Through a more stable and gentle aesthetic tension, it reminds the homeowner of the everyday freedom of living.At its core, the inherent "elegance" of the grand residence stems from a contemporary interpretation of tradition and classics. It doesn't aim to follow a fleeting trend but rather strives to create a semantically rich, inclusive, and multi-dimensional environment. This environment serves to construct a narrative of self-culture and reshape the narrative of individual lives.For designers, this experience marks a transition in their role. From a place of self-driven creative desire, they step back to accommodate the needs of the homeowner. Fortunately, the homeowner's understanding and openness to the design process have allowed for a collaborative emotional creation experiment involving multiple parties.
The creative journey of Yuezhuang also carries a design reminder: a true grand residence isn't merely a structure piled with material possessions, nor is it defined solely by the books, calligraphy, paintings, and antiques within it. Instead, it is built upon the cultivation, knowledge, and aesthetics of its owner, responding to the meaning that the era bestows upon life.

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Xixi Wetland Estate

Hangzhou, China

Xixi Wetland Estate

Hangzhou, China

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team