For a premium property from project developer Sunac, we designed a 700 m² penthouse suite near the Bund in Shanghai – initially as a show apartment. Spacious, versatile and unique. Then our interior design chanced upon the right clients – and in a heartbeat,the show apartment became the family’s new home. The result is an artistic, multi-layered penthouse in which generously proportioned, sculptural objects open upand define spaces.
Seeming opposites come together here: The dynamic buzz of the city exists side by side a desire for immersion in nature and quiet moments away from the hustle and bustle. Conviviality and hospitality are just as important as privacy and the feeling of having a private sanctuary all to oneself. So what was needed is a home that is as versatile and individual as its inhabitants, and one that fulfils the very highest demands.
The entrance area leads directly into a spacious, loft-like room. This is where the family welcomes guests and where everyonecomes together to cook, eat and celebrate. The adjoining sunroom offers magnificent views of the city and its skyline all year round. A sculptural wall panel between the living and dining areas brings calm into the room. It suggests a boundary, but leaves sufficient space on both sides to maintain the open and spacious overall effect. The striking corpus of a free-standing marble bar at the end of the room extends a gesture of hospitality. The cool natural stone serves as a contrast to the surrounding textile surfaces. Shades of green connect with nature throughout, while the material depth creates a dining area with an impressive and exalted aura.
No traditional corridorscan be found anywhere in the penthouse. The transitions between the various areas are fluid, but always clearly recognisable thanks to well-consideredinterim spaces.
A central design element is the green-stained wall panelling that runs throughout the apartment, creating an organic backdrop. With its animated colourfulness and open texture, it brings a freshness and dynamism tothe public areas. Its niches offer display space for artworks or light installations, invitingyou to set the scene yourself. A home lives from precisely these kinds of inconspicuous places, which demand to be filled with personal objects, with parts of your own identity and history.
Three wide steps mark the transition from the public to the private space. The more intimate cinema area is the antithesis of the representative and sociable public living space. Enclosed by curtains, it can be used as a room within a room, and is distinguished by excellent acoustics and a cosy ambience. A folded-down ceiling sail encloses the room towards the sofa suite, thereby creating a feeling of sanctuary.
Moving deeper into the apartment, we find generous retreat spaces for the family and their guests. In the design of the master suite, we again rely on a distinctly object-driven aura, which corresponds with the strong tones of dark blue and anthracite. The second suite, with its soft curves and palehues, forms a feminine counterpoint. In the children’s room, clear geometries dominate, which are reminiscent of building blocks in their lightness and light-heartedness. Here we create a playfully colourful place that stimulates the imagination and encourages play.
Team:
Architect: Ippolito Fleitz Group - Identity Architects
Photography: Zhang DaQi 张大齐
