Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s quote, ‘God is in the details’, has probably helped fuel the belief of many designers to look in greater depth, the details that go into planning spaces, products, buildings – anything and everything really. In 2011, Li Xiang founded X+Living Architectural Design in Shanghai, and has since been creating designs which have left visitors awestruck and fellow designers to appreciate for her eye to look at design details. In our conversation, we discover her influences, some aspects which lie at the core of her design sensibilities and techniques.

Megha Balooni: I read your quote, “Great design is about serving and entertaining people better” and could relate to it very much looking at your designs. What are the two most important aspects, for you, that make your designs serve as well as entertain people better?

Li Xiang: The control of the integration between aesthetics and functionality – we pay great attention to this aspect in all of our projects. Most of the decoration or design elements in the space we have designed are actually integrated with practical functionalities. In this way, we are not only able to conserve space but also give customers a sense that all spaces are utilised well. At the same time, it helps avoid situations that functional unit appears in the space without any correlation with the design theme. By making every design detail in every corner connected to the overall theme of the space, it creates a more immersive and entertaining experience for customers whilst bringing coherency in the overall space.

Meland Club flagship store, Star Legend video game hall by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

Loong Swim Club by X+ Living. Image courtesy of X+ Living 

Megha Balooni: Your projects reflect a multitude of design elements – harmony, repetition, volume, rhythm. How does one achieve balance using all these together in a single space?

Li Xiang: Through overall planning of the main theme of our projects; every functional unit and decoration are designed to serve the main theme of the space. By combing the details together, we are able to present the complete story and concept behind the design. Therefore, even though we have a variety of design elements, the connection between them lets the customers find a sense of wholeness and balance.

Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

Megha Balooni: Your style is eclectic – from minimalistic, to luxury and art deco, your projects present a diverse picture of your design understanding. Having studied in UK and being surrounded with colonial architecture which is much more reserved in its style, what were some of the early influences in your designs? Has there been an experience which has inspired this shift towards using abstract and bold details? 

Li Xiang: In 2008, during my study trip in Germany, our professor took us to visit some famous projects. This was the first encounter between Anish Kapoor and me. At that time, I was upset as I was not attracted by the surrounding things at all, until a huge rugby-shaped object appeared in front of me and all of my bad mood suddenly swept away. I couldn’t help but get immersed in the infinite inspiration and possibilities indicated by his artwork.

The profound influence is far more than that. Even when I have transitioned from working as an architect to an interior designer, I still hope to create designs that are not often seen but hold people’s breath. When people meet it, explore it, they will remain curious, raise doubts, and it would arise subtle feelings in their chest: make them forget depression and sadness for a while and embrace the unknown surprises instead. This connection extends to the beginning of every creation of mine.

Dujiangyan Zhongshuge. Image © SFAP 

Loong Swim Club by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

Megha Balooni: Spatial planning and design appear as one of the most stronghold components of your projects. How important has the study and knowledge of engineering been in this endeavour? 

Li Xiang: The study and knowledge from my architectural study enables me to examine a space from a multi-dimensional perspective. Therefore, I am able to jump out of the decoration level and undertake an in-depth design of the whole space. When designing architecturally, an architect needs to know the direction of sunrise and sunset, where the traffic flows are, etc. Only by combining these aspects together can a complete embodiment of a project be presented, and aesthetics only plays a part of those aspects.

Meland Club flagship store, Star Legend video game hall by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

Megha Balooni: As a child you mention being inclined towards arts. I’m curious to ask what artists played a key role in influencing your architectural sensibilities?

Li Xiang: As I mentioned before, the encounter with Anish Kapoor’s art has had a huge impact on my architecture and interior design career.

Loong Swim Club by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

Megha Balooni: What are some of the architectural techniques you use to evoke a discourse between the spaces you create and the users of the same?

Li Xiang: Techniques that can make an indoor space give its customers a broader sense of openness, and a space structure filled with visual tension, through which we enhance experience and immersion. I also use traffic flow design to guide customer’s behavior, encouraging them to interact with the space.

Dujiangyan Zhongshuge. Image © SFAP

Megha Balooni: What are some of the aspects in which your furniture company Xiangcasa, stands different from your architectural studio X+ Living?

Li Xiang: The difference lies in the topicality of concepts. Furniture design provides me more opportunity to integrate topics that I am interested in like animal protection. Xiangcasa used to have an animal themed chair series called “Pat me”.

Nowadays, Xiangcasa has become a product development support for our commercial space designs projects. Therefore, most of the products are custom made for different themes of specific space designs.

Meland Club flagship store, Star Legend video game hall by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

Megha Balooni: Having received some of the most prestigious awards, and with your projects achieving exposure in international media, what would be some new avenues which you would like to explore going forward?

Li Xiang: To expand the variety of our business and bring X+Living’s design aesthetics and value to more industries, people’s everyday life and public space. I also want to explore more in product design, and try to express X+Living’s design concept on smaller objects.

Taiyuan FAB Cinema by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng

In 2011, Li Xiang founded X+Living Architectural Design in Shanghai, and has ever since been building her own design team working at the cutting edge of art, fashion and business. She has gained cross-field achievements by exploring interior design as an architect, creating many design works with commercial and aesthetic values in the culture, retail, hotel and other industries. Her high-profile design has become the benchmark in aesthetic design and strategic design, and won international recognition with a series of top international awards. She was awarded three Andrew Martin’s International Interior Design Award, 2 Platinum award and 9 Golden award in A Design Awards.

Head Image: Meland Club flagship store, Star Legend video game hall by X+ Living. Image © Shao Feng.