Beijing Artists' House: A Modern Take on Chinese Architecture

Exploring China's Industrial Capabilities for Residential Design

Reflecting the fundamental social changes and industrial development of a country, the Beijing Artists' House moves away from traditional references and embraces an industrial reality. Designed by SpActrum Studio, this residential interior project showcases a modern take on Chinese architecture.

By recognizing the complexity of the artist's living-working pattern, the Beijing Artists' House redefines the traditional residential program. The house combines editing, reading, and various other activities in a relatively small space, accommodating one couple with occasional visiting guests. Traditional divisions of bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms are dispelled, with spaces merging into each other and building up subtle differentiations through spatial attributes.

The design of the Beijing Artists' House incorporates both nostalgic Chinese historical symbols and a chinesque response to the past. It focuses on regeneration strategies and sustainable future housing under an industrial background. The project aims to create a new aesthetic of residential architecture that emerges from China's industrial capabilities.

The realization of the Beijing Artists' House involved the use of various materials such as brass, glass, marble, concrete, and timber. The design team employed techniques like metal bending, laser cutting, water jet cutting, and numerous handcrafting methods to bring the vision to life.

Endogenous Architecture, as the design concept behind the Beijing Artists' House, analyzes the behavior patterns of the house owners and acts as a lifestyle organizer. It redefines the residential program and establishes a poetic living space beyond the routine. The new elements and components in the space carry separation and connection attributes simultaneously, creating a sense of harmony and fluidity.

The Beijing Artists' House project faced several challenges, including understanding the conditions provided by the industry, comprehending the clients' living patterns, and finding architectural language as bridges to connect them. Additionally, organizing manufacturing for a small quantity and high quality in an industry optimized for mass production proved to be highly difficult. Supervising the builders to ensure adherence to the design drawings was also a challenging task.

The Beijing Artists' House project started in April 2011 and was completed in September 2012 in Beijing. It has been featured in publications such as Domus China D Plus, World Architecture News, UED magazine, and Interior Architect.

This outstanding design was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design category in 2014. The award recognizes the project's creative ingenuity, technical skills, and contribution to improving the quality of life. The Beijing Artists' House exemplifies how incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology can make the world a better place.