Micro Refreshing of Space for a Large Corporation | Studio DOTCOF

This project is for Yanfeng Automotive Trim System Company's Jinqiao factory to design the foyer and showroom of the office building. The client wanted to expand the foyer on the first floor of the original office building to include a small showroom for displaying products to external visitors. The space was originally low, with a clear height of only 2.8 meters below the beams. By reorganizing the space and installing an ultra-thin light-emitting ceiling, the designers transformed the depressing space into one that is both technologically rational and warm.

Functionally, in addition to receiving visits to the showroom, the space also needed to be used as an office foyer, to meet the daily use of employees in and out of work. The visiting traffic flow, the office traffic flow on the east side of ground floor, the conference traffic flow on the west side of ground floor, the office traffic flow on the second floor, the traffic flow into the factory visit on the south side of ground floor are all needed to be sorted out, integration.

The designers left a simple space defined by a continuous white terrazzo floor and a ceiling that emits diffuse overhead light. The walls adjacent to the factory on the south side are honeycomb aluminum panels with a frosted metallic sheen. It is a homogenous, rational technological space. It is light-weight, amplifying the sense of space while receding into the background.

Two L-shaped and one rectilinear wooden volumes stand alone in this homogeneous space. The position of the three wooden volumes simply encloses and suggests several functional areas and different traffic flows. Wood as a warm and intimate material naturally draws people closer to it. The concave and convexity of their thickness accommodates most of the daily functions that need to be experienced in close proximity: reception seating, large screen displays, trophy displays, product displays, shoe changing benches, and closets and shoe cabinets for storing safety vest and protective footwear.

The white terrazzo manifests itself as a solid at the staircase, inviting entry through its opening. The continuous horizontal space is then transformed into a vertical towering space. In the experience of climbing the stairs step by step, the body is gradually elevated; the polished terrazzo underfoot, the wooden wall in front of us, the green trees and pedestrians through the north window, and the overhead light from the top of the second floor overlap and merge together.

During this micro-renewal process, the designers closely communicated and cooperated with all departments of the client's team, from decision-making management, branding, showroom planning, day-to-day administration to project management at all levels. We found that even when participating in such a small innovative project, almost all of them put in positive, enthusiastic energy to strive for excellence, and on top of maintaining the craftsmanship, many times they even spontaneously provided us with wonderful innovative points and higher requirements for the design. I think, perhaps this is the biggest surprise brought by this micro-renewal.