UUA sets a curved steel staircase in this photography studio

ASTUDIO is a photography studio founded by the photographer li xiaoliang and his team — being one of the leaders in the industry, ASTUDIO needs a space destined to become a benchmark for this profession. located on the east side of the central business district of beijing in the art valley cultural & creative industry park, the design of new astudio space combines rustic industrial style with minimalist overtones. designed by united units architects (UUA), the space features several artworks, such as a curved metal staircase as a centerpiece.

all images © ASTUDIO

UUA’s proposal sought to first transform the original two-story building into a three-story space. by partitioning the space vertically, the large single space is divided into separate photo studios, each with an independent entrance and dressing room, thereby facilitating simultaneous and independent shooting. the reception area and studio #1 are now on the first floor, with additional working space and studio # 2 occupying the second and third floors respectively.

in order to satisfy the specific functional requirements of ASTUDIO, the team at UUA has created a compact and adaptable series of spaces. designated areas for photo shooting, dressing, reception, meeting, working, and leisure are integrated within the existing building envelope. exact consideration was given to the photo studio itself, as being at the heart of this complex and built to predetermined dimensions, it should also accommodate infinity cove with additional space for scenery, lighting, and shooting.

UUA’s concept retained half of the first floor double height space for studio #1, then adding a new second floor to the remaining half to house the reception area and flexible working space. taking the palette of black, white and gray, a brass metal color was added in specific areas, to highlight the overall tone of the space. the texture and color of the original brick wall are preserved by using transparent paint, in contrast to the ceiling being painted black. for the floor, the public area is covered with self-leveling cement, while in the working area and dressing room, a timber floor is used.

throughout the design and construction process, UUA collaborated closely with both the photographer li xiaoliang and the artist li wei, to create a series of art installations which give the space an interesting and artistic atmosphere. this successful collaboration between photographer, artist, and architect yields a rich result, with the new ASTUDIO space setting a benchmark for creativity and imagination. the originality of the architectural design delivers an end result that will attract new interest and potential work in the future.