In the heart of the city of Shanghai stands a former factory, now converted into a luxury boutique, called XC273. The beauty of this three-story building caught the Dongqi Design team’s attention: “The raw structure was really exposed in all its splendor.” In order not to detract from this poetry, the architectural team chose to create a contrast between the old and new materials.
In the treatment of the circulation, the studio found three voids. These elements allowed the architects to develop an internal circulation system without dead ends. In addition to this unobstructed path, a sound tunnel was placed on the ground floor to connect the different areas of the building for an experimental and immersive musical experience.
The transparent structure of the building allows visitors to visually reach the third floor from the first two. A quasi-panoramic view that allows each floor to reveal its own paving and ceiling. This kaleidoscope is complemented by the ivories applied to the walls and ceiling to disorientate visitors. The studio wanted to create “moments of surprise, comparable to Stendhal’s syndrome.”
In the middle of this monumental ensemble, the emptiness of the atrium is the core of the building. To reinforce this feeling, a water basin has been placed in its center. Its reflection, the continuity of the floor, and the liquid element create intriguing effects, where the lighting of the ceiling is reflected on the floor. A must-see address on your next visit to Shanghai.
Lisa Agostini
