Achieving a Modern, Geometric Aesthetic with Cultural Significance 20th November 2019 | IN PROJECT OF THE WEEK | BY SBID

Project of the Week: SBID Awards Winners 2019

This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features the SBID Award winning project for Development Sales Centres. For this project, Matrix Design was able to combine traditional elements to imbue the contemporary space with historical elegance. With neat sequences of stone wall stitching, splicing and carefully planned lighting, the space evokes a strong sense of luxury. Applying geometric vision to the use of shapes, site lines and the square caisson ceiling feature elevates the environment with powerful perspectives, while decorations like the floating book pages makes it feel like the visitor is entering a new dimension; like the pathway of a time traveller, entering into a timeless space. 

SBID Awards: Development Sales Centre winner sponsored by Vessel Gallery

Company: Matrix Design

Project: Gemdale Fenghua International Sales Center Nanjing

Location: Jiangsu, China

Development design for Gemdale Fenghua International Sales Centre by Matrix Design

What was the client’s brief? 

Fenghua series is one of the three high-end product lines of Gemdale Group. This project is located in Jiangbei New District, Nanjing, China. The design concept of the client was to build an art museum with a modern, Oriental aesthetic to experience international fashion, which is differentiated and artistic on the basis of traditional Chinese design and style.

development design, Achieving a Modern, Geometric Aesthetic with Cultural Significance

development design, Achieving a Modern, Geometric Aesthetic with Cultural Significance

What inspired the interior design of the project? 

In the whole project design, light is the main source of inspiration. As a poetic architectural language, it also becomes a kind of virtual material of space composition. The designers want to make the space full of personality and fully mobilise the emotion of customers through the ingenious construction. The Pantheon cast light from the hollow of the dome, creating a mysterious atmosphere. This classic work makes people feel the real existence of space. Based on this effect, we presented a scene of light shooting into the interior above the sand table area at the centre of the project.

Development design for Gemdale Fenghua International Sales Centre by Matrix Design

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The difficulty of the design in this case was the choice of style. In order to achieve this style, the design team needed to find ways to relieve the ‘cold’ feeling of the interior which is due to the white/neutral colour scheme, vastness of spaces and modern architectural language, whilst staying true to the original design brief; to add cultural character.

Development design for Gemdale Fenghua International Sales Centre by Matrix Design
Development design for Gemdale Fenghua International Sales Centre by Matrix Design

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Elements of traditional culture can be found incorporated into the design which endows the modern space with historic elegance. Achieving this brief was certainly a highlight, however key features in the design also stood out to me. The geometry and grandness of the square caisson ceiling is powerful and energetic with a complex layered structure extending up into the dome. Also, the installation of floating book pages cascading down the staircase as it creates the feeling that you are time-travelling into a new, timeless space.

Development design for Gemdale Fenghua International Sales Centre by Matrix Design

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

We entered through the recommendation of our culture agency DESIGNKEEPER who informed us of the SBID Awards and the prestige associated with this accolade. In view of the confidence and satisfaction of this project, and the hope to know our own level and shortcomings through a fair competition with excellent design teams from all over the world, we participated in this competition.

development design, Achieving a Modern, Geometric Aesthetic with Cultural Significance

Questions answered by Liu Jianhui, Wang Guan and Wang Zhaobao of Matrix Design

If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring SBID Award winners for Restaurant Design with the playful charm and intoxicating narrative of famous Italian chef, Massimo Bottura, click here to see more.

We hope you feel inspired by this week’s Development design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire

SBID Awards 2019 | Development Sales Centre Winner sponsored by Vessel Gallery

development design, Achieving a Modern, Geometric Aesthetic with Cultural Significance