shanghai former celebrity residence is converted into co-working space, by yushe yuzhu

chinese architecture & design office yushe yuzhu has converted the former villa of famous chinese banker sun hengfu into a co-working space. the three-story residence is located in shanghai‘s yuyuan road, famous for its well preserved, european style buildings from the french concession period. once called sun’s garden, the house was built during the late 1920s, and, in order to preserve its historical style, the architects have used old methods and materials, alongside elements such as an indoor balcony with a romanesque, arch-like curve, and retro mosaic tiles on the floor.

all images courtesy of yushe yuzhu

‘trying to unify the existing materials, furniture, and hues that differed widely into a coherent design language is the most difficult, but important part of the whole project,’ yushe yuzhu mentions. during the renovation, several partition walls were knocked down to create a free-flowing space, while unique elements, such as a classical mosaic, have been used to outline different function areas. ‘with strong historical atmospheric features of the former french concession, we preserved and renovated the fireplace, wooden stairs and exquisitely carved railings, through which natural light enters and casts geometrical shapes,’ the architects explain. reinforced concrete structures are left exposed intentionally, without any decoration, in order to signify their origin, while bronze has been introduced in the interior, which creates a strong visual contrast and signifies sun hengfu’s status as a banker. on the indoor balcony, members can rearrange furnishings to create set-ups for small events, short talks or intimate conversations. 

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.

edited by: sofia lekka angelopoulou | designboom