Curved Staircase and Bamboo Partitions in a Modern Office Interior Design

The project of the office complex developed by the Chinese practice CUN DESIGN is located in one of the historical buildings of Shanghai. It houses the new headquarters and showroom of the furniture brand MAGIC PLACE. At the request of the clients, its interior had to include the company's accumulated cultural experience, aesthetic values ​​and the principle of openness to the joint creation of products. During the large-scale transformation, even the facades of the building changed: their general features remained the same, but acquired a more modern look due to the steel frames.

Author: CUN DESIGN Location: Shanghai Area: 2100 m2 Photo: Ten Yu Studio

During the reconstruction of the building, the architects preserved its original design features - large ceiling beams, wave-like shapes and load-bearing columns. Enlarged window openings made it possible to make the interior more ergonomic and connect it with the surrounding landscape. Employees and clients of the company are greeted here by a reception desk framed with bamboo and wood. Its curved volume resembles a massive wave that wraps around a spiral staircase - the façade twists in a spiral and rises to the upper floor. The CUN Design team continued the material palette set by the previous design: familiar bamboo, wood and microcement appear in new interpretations. High supporting structures became accentuated by glossy stainless steel, which also masks them. This play of color and texture forms a restrained but dynamic spatial composition. Workplaces on the upper floor are separated by high partitions covered with gold paint and bamboo weaving. Unlike traditional office solid decorative panels, transparent and wooden walls here visually support nature and centuries-old trees outside the windows. They are also more environmentally friendly and help to comply with the principles of sustainable design. The mirrored ceiling additionally increased the height of the space. To emphasize the open layout of most of the level, glass partitions were used here, also improving lighting.