11 November 2019
The new workplace of Alcai Technology is much more than an office: it’s an innovative space for coworking, business conferences, meetings, activities, presentations and even exhibitions, with a quiet and warm atmosphere.
Y20 Space is located in the Hongyuan Park, inside the famous Hangzhou XiXi Wetland, and surrounded by charming natural scenery and profound historical culture. This area is attracting a large number of small and medium enterprises, such as investment, internet and start-up companies.
The original building selected by Alcai Technology to create its own headquarters, was more like a sculpture, standing in the XiXi Wetland scenic spot for people to see.
The challenge of WJ Design was going through their design ideas to create a special working atmosphere like making a difference from the traditional workspace in the neighborhood and, at the same time, to create an attractive experience in this shared business space, always respecting the initial aesthetic feeling of the building.
WJ Design changed the original main entrance of the building into a sunken yard, that is now a great place for people to spend their leisure time and enjoy the views of the landscape. The transparent glass wall makes the indoor space bright and brings an open vision for the people inside the building. The white exterior wall, the red seats, the light solid wood, the cement, and the plants bring a concept of modern simplicity.
The design team, leaded by Leo Hu, made a whole new entrance like a channel to convey a ritual sense of space, creating a time tunnel feeling. Walking through this channel, one can see an open interior space which brings a strong contrast between the narrow entrance and the bright open interior space.
The whole construction is slightly thick, so white was used as its main tone for the indoor space and a lot of wood as the main material for interior decoration to create a sense of lightness. The original building itself is like a letter Y, so the streamline of the indoor space is designed to act in coordination with the building. The gray color and the original cement make the space simple and pure.
The walls were changed into glass to make a connection between the indoor space and the outdoor environment. Natural materials were used to make the interior space an extension of the outdoor environment so people can feel the seasons change.
WJ Design thinks that design is a sense of perception and insight that captures the nature of things. The main concern is not the form, space or the image, but the users’ experience.
