As urbanization progresses, traditional urban squares lose their functions and unique neighborhoods decline. Public spaces with strong social significance are increasingly shaped by both top-down planning and grassroots initiatives, leaving historical gaps for future generations to imagine and reinterpret.
△ Project video
Harbin, the northern capital known as the “Little Paris of the East,” boasts a rich cultural heritage reflected in its diverse architectural styles. This cultural foundation inspires a new urban lifestyle concept that harmoniously blends tradition and modernity.
The Rongchuang · Sijichenyue project continues this cultural legacy by transforming a sales center into a dynamic hub that connects city, nature, and people. It serves as a contemporary cultural space through inclusive community management and innovative design that respects the human habitat.
01
Field | Transformation
Every memorable place has a distinct personality.
On the expansive fields, reeds sway softly in the wind, their tips rippling with the breeze. This rhythmic movement creates a natural flow that harmonizes the space, reducing commercial intensity and adding warmth and friendliness.
Adapting to the site’s unique features, the space is organized into a sequence of sparse and dense areas with varied heights, creating a three-dimensional depth through interwoven distant and near views. A soft film ceiling diffuses sunlight evenly, while the interplay of light and shadow shapes diverse atmospheres. Walking through, each scene tells a story of transformation and connection.
02
Space | Nature
Green plants are seamlessly integrated into warm wooden interiors, blending naturally with the surrounding environment. This design technique brings the outdoors inside, allowing nature to thrive through light and growth, transforming the space into a living landscape.
The traditional boundary between humans and nature dissolves here. Books act as a bridge, connecting people with their spatial surroundings. The open layout invites visitors into an immersive “book-style” environment enriched with coffee, culture, and art.
Here, you can read nature, books, and your own story, extending the experience in a vivid and meaningful way.
03
Behavior | Scale
Maugham once said, “Reading is a shelter you can carry with you.”
This reading space embodies ideal humanism with an inclusive, peaceful, and open design language. It attracts like-minded individuals, offering a refuge to temporarily leave behind the complexities of the world and reconnect with one’s original intentions through words and imagery.
Natural textures and elegant structures release subtle calming molecules that soothe the mind. This ideal space supports various activities — reading, hosting guests, chatting, napping — fostering free-flowing thoughts and imagination.
04
Sensory | Warmth
The design prioritizes human warmth and comfort, emphasizing soft surfaces over sharp edges with artistic sensitivity and thoughtful spatial operation.
The staircase leads to the second-floor model room and doubles as a casual seating area. Options range from single reading seats by the French window, sofa alcoves with reed-backrests, to marble tables with multiple chairs — designed to maximize comfort for diverse visitors.
Coffee and books create a textured, healing experience. The circular coffee bar, positioned at the central axis of the flow, serves as an energy hub offering diverse options. Its metal mesh structure, adorned with hanging greenery, reinforces the space’s urban naturalism. This radial design injects warmth and humanity into the aesthetic, commercial considerations, and social interactions.
05
Heart | Ideals
Every space leads to the soul through abstract emotions. Sunlight pours through skylights onto the stairs, casting a warm, soulful glow.
Surrounded by books, one can listen to the wind, watch the rain, and savor the passage of time. The “tree of life” on the staircase rises upward, slowing the rapid pace of everyday life. Tall bookshelves create an immersive reading environment, while the interplay of functional zones fosters spiritual resonance.
This natural sanctuary holds endless possibilities and profound philosophy, conveyed by the creative team with simple, heartfelt language. Through tactile design, the space maintains a solid presence despite its contemporary technological environment. Drawing from traditional memories and envisioning the future, these seemingly opposing elements harmonize within this “alternative reality.”
Technical Drawing
△ Plan view
Project Information
Project Name: Rongchuang · Four Seasons Chenyue
Location: Wenzheng Street, Xiangfang District, Harbin City
Area: 1200 square meters
Completion Date: June 2021
Owner Team: Niu Xuzhe, Wang Qingbao, Wang Nanxiang
Hard Installation Design: Designed for the Top
Soft Decoration Design: Feather Fruit Design
Lead Designer: Duan Youzhuo
Design Team Members: Qi Zhigang, Gao Xiaohan, Wang Yubo, Li Yueting
Photographer: Tupai Vision
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