At the beginning of 2020, Su Zao embarked on a design project in Daqing, a stark contrast to the sunny, spring-like atmosphere of Kunming that many are familiar with. In the winter of Northeast China, the icy, snowy landscape evokes a serene and elegant ambiance, even under the sun’s cool glow.
▲ Building Facade © Wang Ce
The Introverted Daqing store is a renovation project featuring a standalone, well-defined building volume and facade, which stands as a major advantage.
Urban Interface
The architectural facade’s dialogue with the city is the central focus of this design.
Daqing is a young city marked by resilience and weathering. The new facade reflects the city’s spirit and its residents’ hopes for the future in a post-pandemic era, all while preserving the original building volume.
▲ Relationship with the City © Wang Ce
Thoughtful facade design helps establish strong brand identity.
The building’s exterior features hollowed-out aluminum grid panels that filter the surrounding environment inward, crafting a calm, peaceful refuge within the urban landscape. From the outside, simple geometric cuts and carefully designed linear details with integrated lighting project a cool, minimalist tone, while subtly radiating warmth.
Inside and out, history and the present coexist seamlessly.
▲ Original building facade © Su Zao
▲ Building Facade © Wang Ce
▲ Building Facade © Su Zao
Space Restoration
As a renovation project, restoring and redefining the space was another critical design focus. Within the original framework, two curved walls were introduced on the first floor to establish a new spatial order tailored to functional needs. Time flows between these elements, with light and shadow dancing unpredictably across the square grids.
On the second floor, selective demolition of certain public areas created open spatial nodes, softening the formerly rigid layout. After careful functional restructuring, the building’s new spatial arrangement no longer bears traces of its previous karaoke club identity, replacing the once lively, noisy atmosphere with one of gentle calm and subtle complexity.
▲ Design derivation
▲ Building axis side
▲ Entrance © Su Zao
▲ Employee Channel © Wang Ce
▲ Front Desk © Wang Ce
▲ VIP Waiting Area © Wang Ce
▲ Rest Area Light and Shadow © Wang Ce
Atmosphere Creation
In contrast to the icy and snowy outdoors, warmth and tranquility are the unwavering goals throughout the design process. Light filtering through the grid softens the spatial boundaries. Some subtle, unintentional gray areas blur the line between space and time, gently drawing visitors into a peaceful reverie.
The simple, uniform textured paint evokes a slightly nostalgic tone. Combined with the soft, misty light, it creates an intoxicating atmosphere, reminiscent of dappled, unpredictable sunlight filtering through autumn leaves.
▲ Rest Area © Wang Ce
Inside, a peaceful atmosphere prevails—the morning sun streams through hollow bricks onto the water’s surface, occasionally casting shimmering ripples. Incense quietly purifies the space, while the agarwood mountain evokes a gentle, chilly dawn, inviting a solitary stroll through a secluded mountain path.
▲ Second Floor Tea Room © Wang Ce
▲ Second Floor Tea Room © Su Zao
▲ First Floor Tea Room © Wang Ce
▲ Passage © Wang Ce
▲ Massage Room © Wang Ce
▲ Foot Massage Room © Wang Ce
▲ Building Facade © Wang Ce
Secluded in a quiet corner of the city, this introverted space offers a tranquil sanctuary. It radiates a calm yet vibrant energy from within, allowing visitors to enjoy the pleasure of solitude and self-reflection.
Project Drawings
▲ First Floor Plan
▲ Second Floor Plan
▲ Third Floor Plan
▲ Fourth Floor Plan
▲ Facade
▲ Facade
Project Information
Architectural Design: Primitive Building
Area: 2,409.87 square meters
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Wang Ce
Lead Architect: Yin Xiaowen
Design Team: Yin Xiaowen, Dong Wen, Du Jie, Guo Jing, Zhang Wen, Cui Ying, Zhao Yang, Cheng Chunyang, Ma Lina, Zhao Shengchao, Zhang Ziyang, Wang Sijun, Yu Gengwen, Feng Changjing, Yang Yuhang
Client: Introverted Tuina
Location: No. 151, West of Jingsan Street, Dongfeng New Village, Saertu District, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province
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