Chinese architecture firm Wutopia Lab has designed a residence that resembles a shimmering light amidst enchanting greenery by a lake in Shanghai, China.

On February 28, Chief Architect Yu Ting visited three potential sites in the park to choose a location for a new pavilion. Representatives from the client’s design, engineering, and marketing teams, as well as the construction company and park authority, joined him for the visit. 

The park aimed to clarify construction boundaries and restrictions, while the design department was tasked with design coordination. The engineering and construction teams needed to assess site conditions and establish a supply chain and structural methods within 40 days. 

The marketing team was responsible for developing usage programs and circulation plans.Based on this information, Yu proposed a comprehensive design that included architecture, interior design, landscaping, furnishings, and exhibitions, with a goal to complete everything and open to the public by April 18. 

The chosen site was the former water base by the bay, where the park required the preservation of two existing buildings and surrounding greenery, including two nearby trees. The client also wanted to reuse ceramic curtain wall panels from previous residential projects.

That evening, Yu used his “house within a house” design strategy, wrapping the two buildings in metal and ceramic skins. During a video call with structural consultant Miao Binhai, they confirmed that the metal shell would serve as the climate barrier, while the ceramic layer would be purely decorative. The existing structure would maintain its insulation and waterproofing.

On March 12, YU, SUN, and HUANG He held a coordination meeting at the CSCEC Jiuhe East China Region office with their entire team, including construction partners. 

They confirmed every detail, from construction stages to material delivery schedules, and finalized a modular system. All trades were instructed to work based on this module.

This approach followed Wutopia Lab’s fast-build design strategy, which includes: Using pre-selected standard materials, eliminating the need for custom molds. Optimizing workflow to maximize prefabrication and reduce on-site work. Integrating all systems—architecture, structure, interiors, lighting, signage, and curation—early in the design phase to secure key materials and details.These steps significantly reduced the construction time and provided a reusable model for rapid-build architecture.

On March 13, MIAO Binhai and engineering head Mr. ZHU visited the construction site. MIAO suggested reducing the size of beams and columns to 150x150 mm steel profiles. This change would integrate them with the façade system, allowing the building's envelope and structure to work together. The new design included aluminum panels, vertical greenery, sliding glass partitions, light steel studs, and ceramic panels, creating visual and material harmony. 

The foundation, especially along the waterfront and on the lower southwest corner, featured cantilevered bases to form a raised platform for quicker assembly. In a follow-up call, YU and ZHU agreed to replace the aluminum-magnesium-manganese panels with more waterproof aluminum plates. They also decided to add decorative aluminum trims (20x20 mm) every 100 mm. 

With these updates, the 190-square-meter Life Experience Pavilion moved into full construction mode.During an interview, MIAO expressed that Chinese people have a strong connection to nature, even amidst concrete and steel. 

This connection leads them to value discarded items, which inspired the pavilion's use of ceramic panels, recycled tiles, marine plastic plaster, marine plastic panels, and mushroom leather. These materials contribute to a zero-carbon narrative that reflects a fundamental cultural belief in cherishing the environment. 

This approach guides the path toward sustainable living and a beautiful life.On February 28, while standing on a bridge overlooking the site, MIAO was inspired by the architectural styles of Wright and Mies. He noticed the horizontal lines resembling a Chinese scroll that unfolds before the viewer. In Chinese aesthetics, a beautiful life is often framed by landscapes that gradually reveal themselves across the horizon, suggesting that even when a scene ends, it continues in the imagination.

Using horizontal layers of light and shadow, the designer organized various elements like preserved trees, vertical greenery, a lobby, an exhibition hall, three uniquely themed VIP rooms, a willow-lined colonnade, a terrace, a boardwalk, and a café. This arrangement creates a linear spatial journey that is both inhabitable and walkable, blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. 

The design evokes a gentle sense of disorientation that brings delight rather than fear. In these brief, cherished moments, one can experience the emotional essence of Chinese culture in everyday life.In VIP Room 1, visitors can sit and look out at a window that feels like a living painting, with light from the skylight softly illuminating the space. 

Words often fall short of capturing the experience.Initially, the designer wanted to include a staircase beneath the skylight for views, but the park did not permit it. However, they decided to keep the skylight, which now resembles old Shanghai tiger windows and creates a contrast with the nearby tree hole, illustrating positive and negative space. 

This addition was not part of the original plan, highlighting the charm of Chinese design—where controlled surprises emerge. On opening day, an elderly man walked by and gently touched the pearlescent ceramic wall. He paused for a long moment, then smiled and walked away. That simple interaction was beautiful.

They once believed that material wealth defined a good life. Now, they understand that true beauty lies in simple moments, like a smile, a pleasant surprise, or a moment of clarity on a sunny afternoon. In these moments, architecture becomes more than just design or storytelling; it transforms into a space filled with emotional depth. 

In environments that foster “peaceful ambition,” people can experience brief, sacred moments. It is in these instances that life reveals its true essence. Architecture is meant to capure these moments of beauty. 

At Wutopia Lab, they cherish these fleeting yet timeless experiences. Space represents the spirit.  

First floor plan

Sketch

Wutopia Lab built an art gallery enveloped by Ferrari membranes to resemble "mountain peaks" in Hainan, China. In addition, the firm designed a dragon-like pergola made of steel meshes that have been painted white for plants to climb.

Project facts

Project Name: The Lake House – Life Experience Pavilion
Design Firm: Wutopia Lab
Chief Architect: YU Ting
Project Manager: PU Shengrui
Project Architect: Liran SUN
Design Team: HUANG He, PAN Dali, XIONG Jiaxing

Interior Consultant: Shanghai C-yu Space Design Co., Ltd.

Interior Consultant Team: DAI Yunfeng, CUI Xiaoxiao, ZHAO Ruyi, QIN Liyan, LUO Renwei
Structural Consultant: MIAO Binhai
Lighting Consultant: Chloe ZHANG, WEI Shiyu

Soft Furnishing: Wuto Art, H&J
FF&E Project Manager: MA Liuliu
Signage: Wuto Art, MEEM HOUSE
Curation: Wuto Art
Curator: LU Yan

Client: CSCEC Jiuhe Development Group Co., Ltd East China Region
Client Design Team: GU Hongfei, FU Rao, QIU Yifei, XU Jie, LU Tongtong, HU Yingzhi, BI Qiu, WEI Jin
Construction: China Construction Second Bureau Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd
Construction Project Manager: HUANG Jinqing

Location: Shanghai, China
Date: April 2025
Area: 190m2
Materials: Ceramic Panels, Aluminum Panels, Recycled Materials

All images © Guowei Liu.

All drawings © Wutopia Lab.

> via Wutopia Lab

house residential Shanghai Wutopia Lab