MMC DESIGN has completed an office and exhibition space with dark and moody atmosphere in Hangzhou, China. The space was designed for textile manufacturing company Springair in Hangzhou, China.

Design Concept

Space embodies the way of life to some extent. As approaching the project, the designers thought about what kind of workspace could enable its users to focus on working while reflecting on life. 

Based on the concept "Life is a gleaming journey", they combined the real and virtual to create a poetic, eternal space that transcends logic and norms.

Entrance © Wang Qing

Entrance © Pan Jie

Entrance © Pan Jie

Entrance

The end scene at the entrance was designed based on children's physical height and perspective, in order to evoke sensibility and naivety. The greenery enlivens the atmosphere, and the ball beside the wall echoes Sisyphus's rock in Greek myth.

Entrance © David

Entrance © Pan Jie

Entrance © Pan Jie

Entrance © Pan Jie

Entrance © Wang Qing

Sculptures in this area carry ancient philosophy and childish innocence, and become mysterious symbols that produce a serene spatial atmosphere.

Entrance © David

Aisle © Pan Jie

Plato's Cave

Walls complemented by distinctive lighting and curves on the top endow the entire space with a restrained, calming, deep and isolated feeling, like a cave. The spatial structures feature geometric shapes and are organized in a way like kids' building blocks, appearing solemn yet childish. The interior is dominated by gray hue, and highlighted by dynamic red.

Aisle © Pan Jie

Storage spaces are converted into "micro caves" within the large "cave", so the stored objects naturally become components of the space.

Aisle © Pan Jie

Building blocks © Pan Jie

Building blocks © Pan Jie

Light & Shadows

Within the space, MMC DESIGN created an eternal and massive virtual world, which is hinted by details and curves

Entrance © Pan Jie

Details such as dense lines, small staircase-like blocks, rich layers and turns of walls are accentuated by lights and shadows.

Aisle © Pan Jie

As moving within the space, users will be immersed in a dreamy spatial journey that transcends time and leads to the inner mind.

Aisle © Pan Jie

Ariadne's Thread

The workbench draws inspiration from Ariadne's thread that helped Theseus find the way out of the labyrinth in Greek mythology. Its streamlined red surface penetrates the area under the arched ceiling, adding smoothness and freedom to the space.

Comprehensive area © David

Comprehensive area © David

Comprehensive area © Pan Jie

Bar © Pan Jie

The twisting lighting strip above resonates with the table surface, seeming to bring people out of the "cave".

Bar © Pan Jie

Comprehensive area © Pan Jie

Comprehensive area © Pan Jie

Bar © Pan Jie

Greek Column Lines

Classical Greek column lines and undulating wall curves are incorporated into the working.

Open office © David

Aisle © David

Aisle © David

Plan 

Project facts

Project name: Springair Office & Exhibition Space

Location: Binjiang District, Hangzhou, China

Design firm: MMC DESIGN

Chief designer: Chen Linping

Designer: Qu Bingjie

Area: 310 square meters

Completion time: November 2020

Construction firm: Hangzhou Taoyi Architectural Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.

Artistic paint: Guan Xiao

Lighting cooperation: Jiang Aiwen

Terrazzo: Guo Xidong

All images © Pan Jie, David

Top image: Comprehensive area © David

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