Taiwan

Subterms

    Latest story

    100 Shares189 Views

    StudioX4 designs cavernous meditation space in downtown Taipei

    by

    A dark, canopy-like ceiling and an LED-lit oculus are among the features that are meant to enhance the experience of this meditation space in Taiwan.

    Situated on the second floor of a residential building in Taipei, the space was created by local design company StudioX4 to provide a quiet sanctuary in which urban citizens can practice mindfulness, meditation and yoga.
    The space can be used for meditation, yoga and mindfulness practicesThe interior consists of a semi-circular space with chamfered walls and ceiling that flow into each other, known as a Bezier surface – a term used in computer graphics to describe a curved volume that has no set central point, unlike a circle or ball.
    The structure was built using planes of plywood planks built up in layers to create a smooth, flowing surface. A  straight wall at one side of the room is a line with mirrors, which create the illusion of the space being double its actual size.
    It is characterised by its curved ceiling and wallsThe reflection is meant to symbolise a sense of balance gained in meditation, according to the studio.

    “Via mirror reflection, the interior area completes its whole entity,” said the studio. “Combining the two halves implies the meditation path of seeking balance for both sides.”
    Sliding doors lead out onto a balcony overlooking the cityDark greys and blacks were chosen for the colour palette.
    “We were thinking of finding a way to reach inner peace – as a result we chose the colour of natural rock,” Lynch Cheng, lead architect of StudioX4, told Dezeen.
    Rounded forms are found throughoutThe walls and ceiling have a subtle, dappled finish that complements the softness of the rounded edges and corners.
    Circular recessions are punched out of the surface of the ceiling to increase the emphasis on rounded forms.

    Hilarchitects completes contemplative meditation hall in eastern China

    One of these voids contains a 150-centimetre diameter oculus, which acts as a focal point for class instructors and is a bright visual anchor in the middle of the dark space.
    It is lit by cool-toned LED lights to give the illusion of being lit from above by natural light.
    The oculus is a focal point within the interiorFurther light sources include large windows that filter natural light into the space, through sliding doors leading to a balcony that overlooks the city.
    In addition to the oculus, accent lighting is present in the form of backlit skirting boards, which delineate the line between the floor and walls.
    It is lit by LED lightsThe low, smooth ceiling and integrated walls also help to create an acoustically complex environment in which users can speak and hear their voices echo.
    “Normally in acoustic design, we try to avoid reverberation. But in this case, we tried to control it so that it goes back to the origin point, so humans can talk to themselves,” said Cheng.
    Tapered edges create softnessStudioX4 drew on the Buddhist idea that “form does not differ from emptiness; therefore, emptiness does not differ from form” for the treatment of the interior.
    “This project is a meditation hideaway for urbanites to explore their minds, to enlighten self-awareness, and to undergo the practice of mindfulness.”
    Self Revealing is among five projects shortlisted in the leisure and wellness interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
    Other projects in the running include a cinema that uses dramatic stage lighting by One Plus Partnership Limited and a beer spa in Belgium by WeWantMore.
    All images are courtesy of StudioX4.

    Read more: More

    More stories

    • 125 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Atelier Boter enlivens Taiwanese fishing village with glass-fronted community hub

      by

      Both locals and tourists can gather at this see-through community hub, which design studio Atelier Boter has created in the heart of Qifeng in southern Taiwan.

      The community centre – named F.Forest Office – is the brainchild of a young Qifeng resident who wanted to establish a buzzy social space where locals could hang out, and where tourists could come to deepen their knowledge of the fishing village.
      F.Forest Office is fronted by glass windows on two sidesThe venue occupies a prominent corner plot that overlooks a number of houses with verandas, where residents often sit and chat as the day draws to a close.
      To give the centre the same air of openness and conviviality, Atelier Boter fronted the building with a number of glass windows.
      The community centre houses a hybrid dining room and classroom”We echoed the existing social patterns [of the village], while at the same time enhancing social behaviour by using the visibility of the space,” the studio explained.

      “Observation of the locality is an important process of the design, which we took seriously.”
      A white curtain separates this area from the centre’s workspaceA thick concrete patio was installed at the building’s entryway, inviting passersby to stop for conversation.
      Inside, the 53-square-metre community centre is almost entirely lined with plywood. A white curtain set on a curved ceiling track helps loosely divide the floor plan into two sections: a classroom and a workspace.
      ….
      The latter is anchored by a communal desk with a thick cork countertop and two pendant lights dangling from yellow wires.
      A partition wall at the back of the workspace is fitted with a couple of bookshelves and a small hatch, which is used to serve meals from a kitchen at the rear of the centre.
      Warm-hued plywood lines the interiorThe adjacent classroom is populated by a couple of circular tables and red metal stools.
      When the central curtain is drawn back, the two rooms can function together as a 30-cover dining area or an events space. The curtain also provides some privacy to the hand-washing station that accompanies the centre’s toilet.
      A patio encourages passersby to stop and chatF.Forest Office has been shortlisted in the small workspace interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
      Other projects in the running include chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s test kitchen in London and a warm-hued wine bar by Note Design Studio that doubles as an office.
      The photography is by James Lin. 

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Embers restaurant in Taipei features a “vortex” of cedar wood planks

      by

      Bowed panels of cedar form a chaotic vortex-like structure in Embers, a restaurant in Tapei’s Da’an district designed by local practice Curvink Architects.The structure, which Curvink Architects says could also be likened to a bird’s nest or whirlpool, sits over the bar of Embers. It’s shortlisted in the restaurant interior of the year category in the 2020 Dezeen Awards.

      The focal point of Embers is a vortex-like structure that sits above the restaurant’s bar
      To build the structure, Curvink Architects called on the help of designer and maker En-Kai Kuo. He sourced three 25-metre-high cedar trees from the forested mountainsides of Hsinchu, a city in northern Taiwan.
      The trees were being felled as part of thinning – a process where a select number of trees are purposefully removed in order to improve the health and growth rate of those remaining.

      Cedar planks were used to make the structure

      After being transported to a nearby timber factory, the three cedar trunks were sliced into thin layers and steam-bent. This formed arched panels which each span three metres in diameter.
      The panels were then set aside for several weeks to allow their curved form to stabilise.
      When the panels were brought on-site to Embers, Kuo haphazardly arranged them in a clockwise direction to create the final vortex-like structure. One cedar beam has been partially embedded into one of the restaurant’s structural columns to act as a counter where guests can rest their drinks.
      It’s illuminated by a striplight which has been fitted in the grooves of another beam hanging directly above.

      During the construction process, the cedar trunks were sliced into thin layers
      Beneath the structure sits a chunky serving island crafted from a further 64 cedar beams, which are stacked in an eight-by-eight formation.
      One end of the island has undergone shou sugi ban or yakisugi – a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation, where the surface is lightly charred to become waterproof and overall more durable.
      Inside, the island accommodates a small fridge, freezer and storage for tableware.

      Neri&Hu draws upon Taipei’s urban landscape for design of Kimpton Da An Hotel

      To keep diners’ attention on the sculpture, the restaurant’s fit-out is otherwise kept simple.
      Walls are loosely rendered with sandy-beige plaster, while the floor is finished with concrete. Pendant lamps made out of recycled glass have also been suspended from the ceiling.

      Some cedar beams have been inset with striplights
      Embers will go head-to-head against four other projects in this year’s Dezeen Awards. Among them is DooSooGoBang in South Korea, which is designed to reflect the humble practices of Buddhist monks.
      There’s also Voisin Organique in China, which features soaring ceilings and shadowy dining areas to make guests feel as if they’re “wandering in a valley”.
      Photography is courtesy of En-Kai Kuo.
      Project credits:
      Design: En-Kai Kuo with Yu-Hao Huang, Curvink ArchitectsAdditional cooperators: Wes Kuo, Kit-Chen, Your Kitchen Ally, Yule Space, Weihsun Chen, Zhēnzhēn Lab

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares129 Views

      KC Design Studio creates moody grey living spaces in basement of Taipei apartment

      by

      The neglected basement of this apartment in Taipei has been overhauled by KC Design Studio to feature a series of greyscale rooms and an indoor courtyard.The apartment, named House H, is set within a residential block in Taipei’s Shilin district and is occupied by a family of four.
      With the children growing up, the family were starting to feel increasingly constricted in their ground floor apartment, so they approached KC Design Studio to transform the disused basement below into additional living quarters.

      The basement presented some significant problems – as the apartment block is sandwiched between two buildings, it would only be possible for the basement to receive natural light from either the front or the back of the plan.

      As the basement had only a few ventilators, there was also poor air circulation.

      To combat this, the studio decided to carve several openings into the basement’s ceiling. One large rectangular opening towards the front of the basement allows sunlight to stream down from the windows on the ground-floor facade.
      This opening also accommodates a staircase that connects the apartment’s two floors.

      An L-shaped opening has then been made in the ceiling at the rear of the basement, topped with gridded metal sheeting so that air can circulate from the ground floor above. The area directly beneath the opening has been fronted with glass to form an indoor courtyard.
      Inside, it’s filled with an array of leafy green plants and a small chinaberry tree.

      The thick foliage acts as a natural privacy screen between the daughter and the son’s bedrooms, which have been relocated to the basement.
      “In the night, the light and shadow of the leaves become the leading role in the space,” explained the studio.

      Elsewhere at basement level is the apartment’s kitchen, living area, laundry room and additional wash facilities.
      The ground floor now largely acts as a master bedroom suite for the parents, complete with its own walk-in-wardrobe. There is also a prayer room for the family at this level.

      A moody colour palette has been applied throughout the home. Walls have been loosely rendered with grey plaster and a majority of the floor has been poured over with concrete.
      Almost all of the lighting fixtures are black, apart from a row of metal pendant lamps that dangle above the dining table. Slate-coloured cabinetry features in the kitchen behind.

      Pink holiday home by KC Design Studio features dedicated cat room

      “We selected different materials but kept them as monochrome as possible to keep it simple and unadorned – in this case, the main thing to perform is light,” the studio told Dezeen.

      KC Design Studio was established in 2012 and is based in Taipei’s Songshan district.
      House H’s dark interiors are a far cry from the studio’s recent whimsical project, Cat’s Pink House – a bubblegum-pink holiday home that includes ladders and a carousel-shaped climbing frame for the owner’s feline companions.
      Photography is by Hey! Cheese.
      Design: KC Design StudioLead designer: Chun-ta, Tsao

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares139 Views

      in Rooms

      Pink holiday home by KC Design Studio features dedicated cat room

      by

      Cats’ Pink House is a holiday home in Taiwan that includes cat ladders, a rotating carousel-shaped climbing frame and a fluffy pink swing for the owner’s feline companions. KC Design Studio made everything pink, even the basketball hoop and court for the human occupants. The three-storey house by the sea is a place for the […] More