penda conceptualizes winter apartment as melting snow

penda conceptualizes winter apartment as melting snow

‘the snow apartment’ by penda, located in the famous skiing region of zhangjiakou 160km north of beijing, offers a weekend-getaway for the client and his friends. the design of the apartment was conceived as a melting snowfield in spring, when nature slowly revives from winter and offers a contrast of cold and warm. this atmosphere was translated into architecture by hand-plastered, white shells, which cover the walls and ceiling to create a seamless space naturally guiding visitors throughout the residence.

entrance hallway

introducing a warm and natural element into the apartment, the undulating forms are partially cut by wooden boxes, which provide areas for relaxing, communicating, and displaying artwork. the walls are lifted up 5cm from the floor and backlit, creating a clear differentiation between the smooth walls and wooden fir-floor while the ceiling above becomes a field of ambient lighting.  the result is a series of curved walls leading guests to a spiral staircase connecting the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living room to the the dining room and roof terrace above. upon accessing the terrace, the interior curves respond directly to the mountains and valleys of the site.

skiing racks at the entrance of the apartment

lights and cutouts naturally guide visitors through the apartment

main room

a balcony opens up the space of the living room

cutouts create spaces for beds and decor

guests are led to the doors of bedrooms by the undulation above

floor plan and elevations of the apartment

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.