"Creating an extraordinary luxury space should return to inner heart, proceed from lifestyle, and echo with the nature and the self to create a sense of delight and belonging."
Huang Tao, Li Zhihong — Founders of Shenzhen 31 Design
Landmark lake view luxury residence
A landmark represents not only the culture of a city, but also the spiritual demonstration of a region within a period. Global Center · DAME Palace is a epitome of Changsha's super large floor flats in recent years. Located in the core area of Meixihu new international CBD, the project boasts breathtaking lake scenery and is adjacent to Meixihu International Culture and Arts Center designed by Zaha. The project is also equipped with the first international luxury brand hotel in Central China, Hotel Indigo. The project combines the irreplaceable lake scenery and the promising city supporting facilities. Shenzhen 31 Design, with successful experience in designing many luxury housing and hotels, has been invited to take charge of the interior design of the project. Huang Tao and Li Zhihong, founders of Shenzhen 31 Design, are the chief designers of the project. They have presented the city's first batch of 20 elites with the landmark luxury residence.
At the beginning of the launch, Damei Group had reached a consensus with 31 Design: Space not only constitutes a place for the body and the mind to reside, but also a spiritual home for reflection and response to the identification of true feelings. To this end, 31 Design had provided an all-rounded, integrated and refined design from the garage, the entrance lobby, the public facilities to a privately-owned residence, presenting a classic of Meixihu luxury residence.
Serene permanence, creating luxury housing of minimalist style to the extreme
All things have an expression, while each super luxury apartment should have its own temperament and aura. Being high-end and luxurious does not necessarily mean exaggerating or consciously making extreme design stunt. 31 Design had comprehensively considered the living demand of the elite customer groups, the environment and the inherent features of the architecture space to set the tone. DAME Palace, proudly standing in the middle of the city and along the bank of Meixhu, is expected to exude a space temperament featuring simplicity, grace, serenity, comfort and eternal broadness. The sense of delight being produced represents people's consistent desire for the environment, just as the serene and elegant lake scenery of Meixihu Lake at dusk.
Exclusive public area: restrained and recluse, symbol of identity
In the initial architecture planning, the main entrance of the lobby of the luxury residence adjoined Hotel Indigo. Based on our deeper understanding of the customers of the super-luxury residence circle, we placed more emphasis on independence, privacy and serenity. Therefore, we relocated the main entrance to the side unexpectedly, making a more low-profile, restrained and recluse debut instead of pursuing superficial display.
Underground garage: overture of home, starting point of magnanimity
Garage constitutes the overture of commuting and returning home and a transitional space for exchange of inner world and the world outside, representing taste and temperament. The design language of the garage contains axial symmetry aesthetics, giving prominence to a sense of exclusivity. The central axis represents the ritual order and psychological implications conveyed by design language, generating a strong sense of ritual and generous poise of the residents. The clear and lively tempo and serial arrangement are echoed with "speed" to adjust people's moods.
Exclusive lobby: sentiments lying between the interior and the exterior
With a clear inner spiritual pursuit, the clues of design become explicit. Constructing a sense of space is a delightful game for us: confirming levels, from small to large, bright and dark, concealing and revealing, creating a profound yet concise space memory. The establishment of an entryway area meets the inner demand of the Orientals, showing the desire to maintain certain distance between life and the bustling world. The vague cubicle has reinforced layers and artistic conceptions, while the sense of enclosure brings security, control and a sense of serenity.
Rather than excessively piling up and blind pursuit of superficial vanity, the design allows people to feel comfort and grace, and enjoy peace of mind. The same stone material applied on the wall with different processing ways also demonstrates different expressions. The intersecting texture symbolizes the condensed urban grain, the blazed path, and more of memory left by this ancient yet fashionable city.
Art gallery: art can be life-oriented, having nothing to do with masters
As an important space in circulation, the elevator lobby and corridors are equally important. Sharing the same building with the hotel, the circulation of the elevator lobby and the architecture tube are relatively longer. Segmented through screen for the sense of enclosure, the ordinary and tedious space is divided into two parts with a lounge area and an art gallery being set. The added fun has enriched the experience and slowed down the pace of life.
With vista being set on the wall of the passage, the space is more clearly organized. You are part of the painting in the mirror, and the landscape in the painting depends on your mood upon your encounter with it. The purpose of art not lies in giving an answer but in provoking thinking. Life can certainly be art-oriented, or art can be life-oriented, having nothing to do with masters. You are the main character in life.
Luxury apartment with an area of about 450 square meters, a perfect integration of space aesthetics and life experience
The real quality life reaches directly to people's body and mind, not merely the aesthetic feeling demonstrated externally. As designers, we are more rooted in life, creating a substantial experience for residence. We express intangible feelings and poetry through tangible objects, instead of consistently pursuing conceptualization in form.
The sense of ritual at the entrance is reinforced in the interior design for the corner configuration of luxury apartment with an area of 450 square meters, accentuating the value and meaning of home. The circulation between the owner and house servants are clearly divided to ensure privacy, order and respect. The four modules with different purposes, the public zone, the sitting zone, the pre-set zone for personal interest, and the private sleeping zone, emphasize stacking of layers and expand vagueness of borders and freedom of definition, bringing reform and fun associated with future lifestyles. Life essence and international temperament of luxurious large floor flats are shaped through the functional layout.
Contents decide forms, and details trigger emotional resonance. The light luxury elegance and delicate contemporary design aesthetics are integrated into the natural poetic conception in the Oriental philosophy. They jointly create luxury closer to life and the inner mind.
Poetry of life is complete with a sofa set facing the sunshine and coffee or tea relished amid light in a winter morning. The thinking of the design is based on the artistic conception with dialog among man, nature and self-dialog.
Changes of light and shadow produce strength. Home is the source of inner strength with dynamic sought through static and fast through slow.
Etiquette double entryways: the beauty of delicacy hides behind detailed design
Ancient people usually talked about the front door and facade, which served the need for etiquette in terms of function and is also a must-have function for a luxury apartment. We believe that the wall light in the front door is more important than the facade, because it symbolizes a waiting beacon and acts as the main character in the design system of the outer entryway. The decoration platform at the lower left is set for the twelve floras of the year. A whiff tells the arrival of summer. The existence of the delicate facade decoration on the back is thus endowed with meaning.
From space to nature: a broad environment and a broad mind
Super large floor flat has already gone beyond the single function positioning of general residence. Multi-dimensional consideration of man and nature, space and time represent our consistent starting point of thinking. In a modern metropolis where erected forest of reinforced concrete, nature in itself is a luxury. Efforts are made to maximize the advantages of a landscape by establishing an in-depth connection with nature. Natural elements such as sky, mountain, cloud, wind and sunshine serve as components in the space field spirit and emerge as the core after being incorporated into the nature. Such an idea is borrowed from "the door and windows are cut out (from the walls) to form an apartment, but it is on the empty space (within), that its use depends" in Tao Te Ching. This is exactly the charm of the lake view floor flats and the essence of the design.
Through functional layout, circulation adjustment and decoration language, landscape scenery spans the guest dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, entertainment room and bathroom. Even the height of furniture gives way to landscape, allowing family members to indulge in the blessed scenery amid the rise and fall of the sightline either in reunion or in solitude.
The guest dining room, as a rare four-fold exchange space, naturally unrolls art styles that integrate both Oriental and Western elements. The day and the night of Meixihu Lake and the CBD is approachable through a whole of transparent glass windows. The light and shadow and the modernity of the art of living can be interpreted through the ripples on the lake and the dappled sunlight.
Heart-stirring artworks can ignite positive emotional resonance, allowing you to feel more profound and infinite beauty. The touching moments in life and cure of mind consist in moments of being touched and waited for.
The round table, closely adjacent to the rectangular counter of the western-style kitchen, has been decided right at the beginning. They express differences between Eastern and Western cultures and also meet the life and social demands of the elite customer groups. The dining table plays an extraordinary role in the lives of Chinese people. It signifies reunion and witnesses occasions when the elderly teach us by examples, influencing the way we get along with others subtly. The solid marble table surface symbolizes the earth on which all things grow. At the same time, the two round-shaped pendant lights above the dining room appear simple and delicate, representing the sun and the moon, expressing gratitude to the nature for the light and happiness it brings.
With openness and closeness, relative independence and mutual exchange, the extraordinary size and the simple yet delicate facade decoration produce both temperament and aura. The warm atmosphere always has the company of tenderness. Integrating Eastern and Western lifestyles constitutes a must for clients of large luxury floor flats and it has long been essential to equip an independent and complete western-style kitchen of a large size. The rectangular bar counter serves as a table for enjoying breakfast and a bar for drinking, emerging as a perfect spot for family life and social joy.
More casual luxury life in a duplex living zone
The semi-open living room represents the second parlor in the luxury apartment to receive guests. It can separate from and combine with the multi-functional space at the far end, while also absorb the scenery of Meixihu Lake and the bustling scene of the city. The two parts are independent, but they can function as a place for interaction, family gathering, parent-child learning, personal work, interest collection or leisure and entertainment. Multi-scenario patterns and convergence of multi-functions have left more possibilities for life, creating a comfortable, unrestrained and delightful atmosphere and experience. One's inner world should be defined by the self and more life scenarios should be the essence of the luxury apartment.
No design definition is made for the study or the room for personal interest, leaving a world sheerly dedicated to your heart and soul. It is a world where you are true to yourself and you can leave the world behind you. The desk is purposefully arranged so that your back faces the window to feel the sunlight, allowing you to concentrate on the world unveiled by the book.
The sleeping zone: building a world only for yourself
All of the three bedrooms are in suite style, which can serve for exchange and interaction with the family members and free of interruption. Equipped with premium living facilities, a happy life is comprehensively ensured for the body, mind and soul. The space atmosphere has inherited the simplicity of hard decoration and ornaments of art elements at certain points. The overall comfort and quaintness are brought to life with the visual and sensual experience generated through the artistic ornaments and furniture materials.
The small suite is initially set as a child's room. The design of hard decoration lays more emphasis on future growth, maintaining simplicity and a warm atmosphere without excessive pre-set decorations. The sample room merely demonstrates the design of a daughter's room through soft decoration such as furniture and curtain. Every kid has a unique character. An inclusive space being reserved allows the kid to include favorite objects and become an artist of his or her own. The space will remain coordinated despite the change of a color set. Affection will persist as time goes by.
The layout of the two primary rooms are uniquely designed, enabling the residents to opt for more diverse lifestyles. This suite is more like the layout concept of luxury hotel guest rooms. The folding door installed between the bathroom and the bedroom has maintained interaction in space, generating inclusiveness in life. The central theme of the space has been sustained in facade processing. Serenity and luxury coexist with grey color, and form a contrast between the dark-colored wood and the high-quality simple-style and elegant furnishing fabrics. We have already made up our minds at the moment of making the drawing. It is also the intention of the Meixihu Lake to return to inner calm without pursuing superficial vanity.
The broadest view and aura among the apartment configuration are reserved for the guest dining room and the diversified public social zones. The primary bedroom is specially set at the corner. The coexistence of the lake view and privacy is more conducive to building a world of one's own. The two French windows allow you to broaden your mind, and the design method of simplifying complexity enables the landscape and sunlight to emerge as the main characters in space.
Experience in the bathroom naturally plays a critical role in terms of one's privacy, ego and happiness. There is no better place than the bathroom for relaxing the body and mind, finding the true self, unleashing inspiration and triggering thoughts. Archimedes experienced his aha moment of the buoyancy principle in the bathroom, which aptly shows that leisure gives birth to wisdom.
The tranquil black and white tone in the luxurious bathroom of the primary bedroom gives prominence to the serenity in a bustling city. The super broad window integrates man into the nature, and the supporting facilities that surpass star hotels also refine the delicate quality of life from details.
A person and the self, and a person and the partner constitute the soul of space. They are building your own world at the corner of the world and in life.
Top class does not mean ostentatiousness, vanity or piling up. Instead, top-class life represents a high-level balance among functions, aesthetics and sentiments. The ideal home rests in full consideration and pursuit of space comfort, utility and human-friendly details. While a luxurious home is a product of feelings, poetry and mind.
Huang Tao, Li Zhihong
Co-founders of Shenzhen 31 Design
Mr. Huang Tao and Mr. Li Zhihong are the co-founders of 31 Design, who both have abundant experiences in international hotel design. Their design projects for large international brands, such as St. Regis, Hilton, The Ascott, have been successful. In recent years, their designs are favored by many premium real estate developers and top-class mansions. The two designers have full understanding of hotels and real estate projects, and are good at integrating the sense of nature, art and life philosophies into the design space, and give full display to their extraordinary creativity in the design language and spatial planning. The designs echo unique experiences and resonate with the commercial value. Mr. Huang and Mr. Li have delivered designed projects across China, such as the Imperial Park Duplex Penthouse Shenzhen (Developer: China Merchants Group), Visun Cullinan Sales Office in Sanya, The Bayview (Developer: Guangzhou Kingold Group), among other villas and sales centers of major Chinese real estate developers.
Shenzhen 31 Interior Design Co., Ltd (Shenzhen 31 Design) is dedicated to high-end interior design, and is popular among sectors such as brand hotels, super luxurious mansion projects, and featured real estate projects. Meanwhile, 31 Design has been venturing in the commercial headquarters and other business design sectors. Through design works that are creative, influential and valuable, 31 Design has won the recognition of the market, in which many visionary customers are willing to challenge new fronts with 31 Design.
31 Design upholds the principle of human-centered design, and focuses on shaping a space with unique experience, accompanied by details with a humanistic touch. 31 Design strives to foster emotional resonance, in order to create infinite possibilities for life. 31 Design has created various works that have won over 100 significant awards in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific region, including the A'Design Award and Competitions (Italy), Gold Award of London Design Awards (UK), German Design Award, and so on.
