SITE
The space is located along the Suzhou River in a historic Shikumen building named Yan Qing Li. In contrast to the neighboring flow of water and traffic, this space is still and quiet. The client, fashion designer Ruohan, asked Studio Profile to design a space that can shift between showroom and studio space with ample storage. Our design process began by contemplating a spatial language that could embody Ruohan’s sensibilities and accommodate the functional requirements of the space.
VESSEL
“Vessel” is a recurring concept in the conversations between Studio Profile and Ruohan. Vessels are not only functional objects containing physical substances but also artifacts of time and culture. Ruohan views bodies as vessels of time and clothes as the vessels to our bodies. Consequently, Studio Profile began to perceive this space as Ruohan’s vessel. The sense of containment and envelopment became a guiding property during our design process.
DRESS
To “dress” the space was our first intuition upon visiting the site. This “dress” gently veils the walls without dramatically altering the existing conditions of the space. Clothes do not grow on us; a gap is always present. Similarly, this design uses galvanized steel tubes as a framework to lift the new surfaces off the wall, creating a gap between the new and the existing. The surface, composed of wood wool cement boards, wraps around the space, enveloping the inhabitants like a vessel. The functional requirements are tailored into the “dress”; display platforms collar off the surfaces, and the storage spaces pocketed behind. The double-sided mirror is a large sliding door that shears off the studio space from the showroom, creating more privacy when needed.
TEXTURE
Ruohan’s pieces are formally pure and texturally rich. The simplicity of the design allows us to focus on the subtle qualities of the clothes. Ruohan’s unique surface treatments inspire us to use white wood wool cement boards as the main material for the design. As one approaches the wall, the surface transitions from a blotchy white camouflage to a rich fibrous texture. The texture unifies the surfaces and further emphasizes the sense of envelopment. Space as dress, dress as vessel. This tailored space marks a new beginning for Ruohan and sets the tone for Studio Profile’s design pursuit. By listening to the conditions of the site, materials, and inhabitants, Studio Profile searches for spatial orders that can embody our social and material narratives.
Team:
Client: Ruohan
Interior Team: Baoer Wang, Josh Ren (Studio Profile)
Contractor: Dongde Construction Decoration Co.,Ltd
Photography: WenStudio
Material Used:
Galvanized iron tube, galvanized iron plate, wood wool cement board
