▲ Outdoor Courtyard
In every era, people long for a peaceful and harmonious refuge from the mundane world— a place of tranquility. This desire echoes the tale of “The Peach Blossom Spring,” where a fisherman accidentally discovers a hidden paradise along the river: “Suddenly encountering a peach blossom forest, hundreds of steps from the shore, with no other trees mixed in, fragrant grass and colorful falling petals. The fisherman was amazed; as he moved forward, he wished to explore the entire forest…” This sudden revelation inspired the design of this project.
Xiamen Zhongnan Real Estate approached the project with two unique conditions that differ from traditional sales offices. First, the sales office building is intended for sustainable use within the local community in the future. Second, except for the reception entrance, most of the two-story space is situated beneath the landscape. The challenge for the Water Phase Design team was to maximize the qualities of this isolated and independent site, while preserving natural elements such as sunlight, air, and water within the architectural environment.
▲ Elevation View
▲ Aerial View
▲ Aerial View
The Origin of Tea: Taking a Ladle and Savoring the Moment
The vision for the future community is to create a connected landscape filled with local memories, beginning at the first-floor entrance. Traditionally, village life revolved around ancient trees, serving as gathering points where people exchanged daily news and emotions. It became a habit and collective memory to bring both small and large matters closer to these trees. Tea, deeply rooted in the culture of old Xiamen, represents the essence and cultural axis of this connection. Boiling water and brewing tea to treat guests is more than a ritual—it is a lifestyle, transcending the quality of tea itself. Tea drinking embodies freedom and clarity of mind.
▲ Design Concept
The glass tea courtyard, surrounded by a lake reflecting the sky, serves as a prelude—a transparent vessel carrying the ritual of tea. The external sounds of the river contrast with the calm, peaceful interior, calming visitors as they enter. At the heart of the tea pavilion is a flowing long table that extends through the glass curtain. As tea is brewed and savored here, the continuous sound of water flowing into the lake fills the space with charm and relaxation. While not a direct replica of Wang Xizhi’s flowing-water wine cup, the graceful interplay of clear water and reflections evokes a similar elegant atmosphere.
▲ Reception Counter and Tea Table
▲ Reception Counter and Tea Table
▲ Reception Counter and Tea Table
The Source of Light: Seeking to Exhaust Its Path
Next to the tea table is an opening in the floor that leads down to a cave beneath the lake. Many legendary utopias begin with a hidden, unnoticeable entrance, where visitors can repeatedly explore a peaceful and undisturbed realm beyond time. This dim and unadorned underground corridor invites visitors to cleanse their daily emotions and return to their essence. Following the faint light at the corridor’s end, one arrives in a completely different, illuminated space beneath the invisible lake.
▲ Entrance to the Underground Passage on the First Floor
▲ Entrance to the Underground Passage on the First Floor
▲ Entrance to the Underground Passage on the First Floor
▲ Entrance to the Underground Passage on the First Floor
▲ Outdoor Courtyard Entrance
The underground space, featuring a unique cave, is nourished by a tree reaching toward the sky through a circular courtyard that welcomes sunlight, water, and light—forming the simplest cycle between heaven and earth. During the day, the shadows of the tree wander indoors, inviting visitors to shed their travel plans and the rush of daily life. Here, people enjoy the shade and gather under the gentle shadows of branches and leaves. They read in harmony with the natural rhythms of day and night, marking time with cups of tea, transcending the city’s temporal constraints and sensing the passage of time through a comfortable, natural breathing rhythm.
▲ Aerial View
▲ Outdoor Courtyard, Dining Area
▲ Outdoor Courtyard, Dining Area
▲ Dining Area
▲ Dining Area
▲ Dining Area
▲ Shared Kitchen
▲ Shared Kitchen
▲ Dining Area
▲ Reading Area
▲ Outdoor Courtyard, Reading Area
▲ Outdoor Courtyard, Reading Area
Hidden Beneath the Lake: Time Soaks into the Paintings
Looking upward, the upper layer of lake water filters through the roof, casting sunlight that gently ripples across the walls. This quiet, swaying beam of light feels as though it is submerged beneath the lake, creating a serene distance from the busy world above. What unfolds beneath the lake is untouched by daily time.
▲ Shared Kitchen
▲ Shared Kitchen
▲ Dining Area, Reading Area
▲ Reading Area
▲ Reading Area
▲ Reading Area
▲ Reading Area
▲ Bookshelf
To preserve this transcendent sense of detachment from the outside world, the design abandons flashy colors and sensory overstimulation, instead embracing warm, natural, and simple materials with pure textures and tactile qualities. The design avoids overly expressive forms, favoring intuitive lines that allow users to experience natural light, shadow, and color without distraction. The decorative language resembles a long scroll painting or contemporary ink art, evoking an ethereal atmosphere that filters out mental clutter. Only the copper, aging gracefully, records the passage of time and reflects the marks left by human effort through history.
▲ Reading Area
▲ Ladder Classroom
▲ Bookshelf
▲ Ladder Classroom
▲ Exhibition Area
▲ Exhibition Area
▲ Office Corridor
▲ Office Corridor
▲ Bathroom
Handmade pottery connects with the earth’s veins, leaving a subtle aroma on wood, while tightly woven rattan showcases delicate variations in detail. These elements carry the narrative texture and emotional flow of the objects, serving as both decoration for tea mats and buildings, and as cultural connectors for future community activities.
▲ Interior Decoration
At the Heart of the City: Nurturing Trees and Emotions
Whether functioning as a sales office or a future arts and cultural activity center for the community, this space avoids rigid functional frameworks. Instead, it aims to foster dialogue through design. In an era of urban alienation, individuals can reconnect by gathering around trees, sharing stories of daily life. As if returning home to share food and wine, this place aspires to revive the grounded spirit and harmonious atmosphere of “The Peach Blossom Spring.” It seeks to become a precious living heritage for the new community. Regardless of the city’s noise or changes, discovering this secret entrance and descending beneath the lake offers a unique perspective of tranquility.
▲ Aerial View
▲ First Floor Plan
▲ Underground Floor Plan
▲ Elevation View
Project Information
Project Name: Xiamen Zhongnan Jiujintai
Space Design: Li Zhixiang, Ge Zhuwei, Lin Qiwei, Huang Yucheng, Chen Youru / Water Phase Design Waterfrom Design
Soft Decoration Design: Water Phase Design Waterfrom Design + Universal Gravity Interior Design Co., Ltd
Owners: Zhongnan Land Xiamen Haixi Regional Company (Lu Qinglin, Chen Yafeng, Huang Huanxin, Chai Limin)
Space Type: Sales Office, Reception Hall
Location: Xiang’an District, Xiamen
Indoor Area: 750 m²
Space Layout: Reception Area, Tea Tasting Area, Staircase Classroom, Children’s Reading Area, Community Kitchen, Dining Area, Office Area
Design Period: April 2019 – May 2019
Construction Period: August 2019 – October 2019
Main Materials: Limestone, Castle Gray Stone, Cedarwood Solid Wood, Black Dyed Red Copper, Black Dyed Brass, Handmade Paint, Scratch Mud Stone
Photography by Zhao Yuchen
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