Beyond Appearances: A Poetic Fusion of Art and Architecture

Huiming Tan's Award-Winning Design Transforms Art Paint Showroom into a Tranquil Oasis

Located in Chaozhou, Guangdong, China, Beyond Appearances is a project that took over a year to complete, from its conception in January 2020 to its completion in May 2021. The design draws heavily from the aesthetics of classical Chinese gardens, liberating traditional imagery and infusing it with a contemporary aesthetic awareness. The result is a poetic space that embodies the imagery of a garden within an indoor environment.

What sets Beyond Appearances apart is its innovative use of artistic paint to create the space. This special type of coating, which contains a large amount of pigments and fillers, allows for a wide range of colors and textures. It's used not only for wall and ceiling decoration, but also as a surface coating for furniture, sculptures, and other art pieces. As such, the showroom is a vibrant display of artistic and unique beauty, providing visitors with a distinctive spatial experience.

The design concept of the entire space incorporates the diversity of artistic coatings, abstractly translating the imagery of Chinese classical gardens. Techniques such as changing scenery with each step, scaling from small to large, and continuity of design are employed to express the interplay of light and shadow. The layout also takes into account the psychological activities of visitors and control of their behavior by designing optimal pathways, ultimately achieving the goal of better showcasing and selling products for the business.

Despite challenges such as an unremovable column and a sloping roof, Tan managed to seamlessly integrate these elements into the design. For instance, a discomforting low ceiling on one side prompts visitors to move forward, following the planned route psychologically. The unremovable column was incorporated into a three-pronged column design, with one of the columns blended into the building template texture to avoid a cumbersome appearance.

This innovative design has not gone unnoticed in the design world. Beyond Appearances was awarded Silver in the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2023. This prestigious award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.