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suzhou river duplex a cool zen-like space

Designer JIANG QIONG ER | Suzhou River SHANGHAI

THE SHANGHAI RESIDENCE of French architect Jean-Marie Charpentier is an exercise in Zen elegance—with pure sweeping lines and a minimalist approach. Based primarily in Paris, Charpentier, who founded Arte-Charpentier et Associes in 1969, has contributed to a number of key architectural projects in China, including the innovative Shanghai Grand Theatre.

A firm believer in nurturing Chinese design talent, Charpentier is also a partner in Shanghai-based Vep Design, alongside creative talent Jiang Qiong Er (see page 102). To create a home for his frequent visits to the city, Charpentier chose a 350-square-meter (3767-square-foot) duplex apartment on the edge of the Suzhou River and asked Jiang to redesign the space for him.

“He preferred to make something simple and pure,” explains Jiang, who completely reworked the structure, opened up the space and installed a sweeping circular staircase in the middle to link the two levels. The curves of the staircase allow good energy flow and provide a sense of visual and sensual harmony. On the ground floor is a huge, double-height living room featuring a wall of windows which enable maximum light to enter the space. “Previously the proportions were not good so I installed the double windows to make the space work,” says Jiang.

The upper level, which comprises a balconied area that wraps over the living room below and has bedrooms leading off to the sides, provides space for a study and to display Charpentier’s collection of old musical instruments. Along the edge of the space is a long, wooden seating structure with a sloping back, based on the traditional Chinese mei ren kao bench, a kind of reclining garden chair.

In keeping with the minimalist, balanced proportions of the space, the furnishings are low key: antique, clean-lined blackwood Chinese chairs, an elegant altar table and cabinet and modern European designer pieces. The palette consists of muted tones of off-white, grey and stone. It is a serene space, perfect for contemplation and the ideal counterfoil to the dynamic, fast pace of the city outside.

The curvaceous staircase is an exercise in simplicity—its sweeping, circular lines enhance the sense of visual harmony and seamlessly link the two levels of the space.

The curvaceous lines of the staircase are echoed by a circular depression in the ceiling designed to showcase the light source. Pale carpeting echoes the neutral palette and adds warmth to the space.

On the upper level, a bench inspired by the traditional Chinese mei ren kao bench found in Anhui’s classical gardens functions as both a seating area and as a balcony railing. A guest bedroom can be glimpsed through an internal glass window beyond.

The ground floor salon benefits from double height windows installed to enable maximum light flow. The room is furnished with a combination of design classics, contemporary pieces and antique Chinese furniture.

A kaleidoscope of curves viewed looking upwards from the base of the staircase.

Elegant black and silver furniture pieces are juxtaposed with plain white walls. An antique blackwood horseshoe armchair contrasts effectively with a modern, Chinese-style stainless steel chair.

The use of pale timber on the upper level helps emphasize the sense of space and light. The collection of clean-lined antique Chinese furniture was sourced from No D Gallery.

green t house

fusion central

Designer Jiang Tao | Chaoyang BEIJING

White latticework screens cover the windows and a tangle of twisted white branches hangs from the ceiling. An oversized wooden sculpture appears to lurk in the corner.

A futuristic Mozzkito table lamp by German designer Ingo Maurer hovers over JinR’s desk.

WITH ITS MINIMALIST yet imaginative décor, rich atmosphere and creative fusion food, Beijing’s Green T House has set a benchmark for modern design in the capital. Created by JinR (Zhang Jin Jie)—her skills include musician, designer and masterchef—the Green T House is a distinctive blend of teahouse, restaurant and gallery.

Feted in the media as Beijing’s “Queen of Style,” JinR is known for her desire to push boundaries and redefine conventions. Her love of the traditional Chinese teahouse as a place to relax, reflect and converse prompted her to create a space filled with unique and beautiful objects of her own design. In 1997 she had a tiny location with just three tables; next came a Tang Dynasty-inspired interior with an intimate atmosphere akin to a “mysterious old house.” Today, the Green T House occupies a light and airy space near the west gate of the Workers’ Stadium in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. With its clean lines and distinctive Chinese aesthetic, it is “modern without being foreign.”

The restaurant’s interior is an iconic blend of Alice in Wonderland meets new China chic. A huge velvet curtain pushes aside to reveal a dramatic interior furnished with white latticework Chinese screens, slim white branches weaving across the ceiling, sculptural high-backed chairs and hand-painted silk lanterns. In addition, the culinary creations are so beautifully presented that they are artworks in themselves. Here, JinR has created a sense of theater in which anything seems possible. “I want to create the best moment for people… an experience they will always remember.”

Oversized globe candles and two clear perspex yokeback armchairs designed by JinR glow under red overhead lighting which adds a sense of theater and drama to the space.

A calming influence: in the study, a Zen-like bronze hand sculpture sits atop a pile of books.

In the office, a painting by artist Liu Fei is propped up in the corner behind a curtain of clear perspex disks. The white staircase leads up to a mezzanine level which houses a library of reference books.

The windows have been imprinted with red bamboo stencils. White soft furnishings, sheer curtains and a clear perspex tray and accessories ensure that the tea experience is as rewarding to the eye as it is to the tastebuds.

In contrast to the restaurant, the office features bold red walls to offset a series of black and white yokeback-style armchairs. Paintings, bronze artifacts and lacquerware tea sets accessorize the space.

From the ceiling hangs the exuberant Birdie Chandelier by Ingo Maurer, comprising a series of low-voltage light bulbs with goose feather wings.

The restaurant is filled with sculptural chairs with 3-meter-high (10-foot-high) backs designed by JinR. Each chair is a whimsical reinterpretation of a classic Chinese design.

A private table in a corner of the restaurant is accessorized by high-backed chairs designed by JinR. Above the table hangs a Zettelz chandelier by Ingo Maurer consisting of sheets of Japanese notepaper clipped onto stainless steel wire cables.

the white house

modern glamour by the sea

Designer DEBORAH OPPENHEIMER | Chung Hom Kok HONG KONG

WITH ITS SCULPTURAL WHITE STAIRCASE, polished white lacquer flooring and sophisticated color scheme, the spacious, light-filled home of Jung Ho and Helen Park is an exercise in pared-down glamour. Located on Hong Kong Island’s Southside, the 400-square-meter (4306-square-foot) home benefits from both sea and mountain views and is filled with that very special quality of light inherent to this part of Hong Kong.

Interior designer Deborah Oppenheimer of Deborah Oppenheimer Interior Design Ltd created a clean shell which has a liquid quality and which is at the same time serene, calming and comfortable. “We all had a vision of a white house, with white lacquered floors and Statuario marble, everything very simple and very white,” she explains.

The focal point of the house is the large molded staircase that sweeps upwards, developed in collaboration with architect Michael Chan. “We felt that by having a white core with a sculptural element in the middle, we would be getting away from a cookie cutter environment,” says Oppenheimer. To balance the white palette, soft auxiliary colors such as mouse grey, taupe, duck egg blue and charcoal have been woven in to form a neutral but luxurious backdrop to the Parks’ collection of contemporary Chinese art, sculpture and photography.

A white screen on the upper level was designed using square detailing. Square motifs are a recurrent theme throughout the house.

The use of high quality materials which coordinate perfectly adds elegance to the interior. The high gloss lacquer floorboards needed seven coats each to create such a high gloss finish; oversized limestone slabs “float” in the entrance hall; finely woven dark taupe vinyl lines the stairs and glazed linen drapes edged with velvet hang from the windows.

Oppenheimer has cleverly blended elements from around the world, including her native South Africa, to achieve an environment that both reflects different cultures and at the same time works as a cohesive whole. “We enjoyed the meeting point of different cultures and ethnic influences. There was a great harmony achieved by using elements such as Chinese ceramics, art and sculpture alongside African ceramics and landscape photography—in terms of color and texture as well as content.”

A sensual white staircase sweeps upwards through the house providing a core sculptural element to anchor the interior design. Sculpture is by Zhu Wei.

The living room is an exercise in luxury and pared-down elegance. Serene shades of taupe and charcoal offset the pure white palette. In the center of the room is a coffee table made of compressed bamboo.

A molded handrail is recessed into the side of the sculptural staircase; lights are positioned at skirting level.

Elegant dark taupe vinyl matting has been used for the floor of the staircase. It has a fine weave yet is very practical.

The master bedroom is a symphony in white, cream, taupe and ivory. Adding extra glamour is a crystal drop chandelier, ivory glazed linens by Rubelli and a tri-toned loose pile linen rug.

The son’s light-filled bedroom has been accessorized with a pale blue and charcoal color scheme. In the corner is a miniature horseshoe armchair; above the bed is a large pinboard.

The family room is both cosy and stylish featuring tailor-made white shelf units to display sculptures and photographs. Above a faux lizard ottoman hangs a pleated lampshade by Santa and Cole.

Blanket-stitched blue and charcoal felt rug by Roger Oats.

Glass mosaic tiles in the bathroom continue the taupe and pale blue color scheme.

Close-up of Zhu Wei sculpture.

The dining room features a dark charcoal taupe wall as a backdrop to the pale, duck egg upholstery. On the wall hangs a painting by Natalie du Pasquier.

With its picture windows, the living room offers picturesque views of the surrounding hillside. Rubelli linen curtains trimmed with dark taupe velvet contrast with the white lacquer flooring.

Molded chairs flank a kitchen island which is topped with Statuario marble.

A painting by Hong Zhu An hangs in a corner of the living room. The pair of rectangular sculpture stands to the right were designed by Oppenheimer.

tang villa

new courtyard house

Designer ROCCO YIM and WILLIAM LIM | Pudong SHANGHAI

THE SPRAWLING DISTRICT of Pudong, located on the east bank of Shanghai’s Huangpu River, is becoming the city’s financial and commercial hub. Just over a decade ago, Pudong was mainly farmland; today the area is a glittering mass of futuristic skyscrapers which face across the river towards the classical art deco buildings of The Bund.

With its wide boulevards, sculpted parks and ordered sense of space, Pudong is home to growing numbers of high end villa developments. One of the most noteworthy is the Mandarin Palace or Jiu Jian Tang, a collection of modern Chinese garden houses designed by architects from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. Since classical times, gardens have been an important element in the homes of China’s elite, demonstrating the status of their owners.

The largest villa here is the Tang Villa by Hong Kong-based architect Rocco Yim of Rocco Design for developer Shanghai Zendai Delta Property. The interior design is by William Lim of CL3. Designed as a contemporary take on the Chinese courtyard house, the villa—which measures 900 square meters (9500 square feet) and is on a 2,000-square-meter (21,000-square-foot) plot of land—combines traditional Chinese architectural and cultural concepts with modern living requirements.

Bamboo groves flank the modernist exterior of the villa.

The expansive space is divided into several distinct areas—an impressive glass-walled formal reception hall and dining room with visible system of supporting pillars is on the ground floor with the guest and family quarters to the side. On the upper level is a master suite with bedroom, bathroom and study; in the basement is a gallery space, games room and bar.