15-2 WINDOW | BAICAI Design

“We hope what we do at BaiCai resembles the white light from grey shade.” – BaiCai team

BaiCai Design Studio nests in the bustling city center of Shenyang, along a lush road that is adjacent to the consulates of six countries, MixCity and Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. The road is also famous for its classic restaurants of local food, where you can find bazaars and markets every night. We believe it is the emotional intersection of Shenyang, which is why we settle ourselves here.

The project is located on the first floor of a 20-year-old residential building of brick-concrete structure. We took a tremendous change to the façade to create a full class wall of 25sqm. We removed two existing structure columns and reset the columns after extending the base to the original layer of soil. By pouring concrete, we reinforced the upper and lower beams to create a stable square structure, which helped to simplify the façade while to avoid the risk of glass sinking due to overweight. From section view, the entrance and the partitions for equipment were hidden outside of the columns, emphasizing the window as a key feature to the space.

The window is all you can see when you arrive at BaiCai Design Studio, then we call it the WINDOW space. It is a space for free thinkings and exchanges, and where periodically we will host exhibitions and workshops with our friends. The white lights that penetrate the grey and plain space leave nothing but the content itself as the identity.

There is a hidden door at the end of the long and narrow corridor with a depth of 8 meters next to the WINDOW. After opening the door, you will meet our office space. The long corridor and hidden door physically separate the art space from the studio, but somehow connected both in a more intimate way.

The overall color tone of the space is snow white and grey. We kept the original beams and column of the interior, giving everything else the same white color, including the walls and cabinets. The sense of warmth and comfort are created by curated display of contents. To ensure the visual permeability and rich layers of the space, we use bookshelves and glass panels to define the zoning and circulation, where people can naturally walk between working area, event area, kitchen and offices. We want to make our studio a luminous space, with rich content, creativity, logic and freedom.