Reviving Tradition: The Neo-Chinese Style in Modern Architecture

YI Chen & Muchen Zhang's Pulin Type-C Villa: A Fusion of Classic Charm and Modern Comfort

The designers' inspiration for the villa came from their desire to return to the origins of traditional Chinese culture and spirit. They wanted to create a space that reflected the elegance, coziness, and natural delicacy of traditional Chinese design, but with a modern twist. The villa's design, therefore, is a perfect fusion of classic charm and modern comfort. The designers have used simple and straight modeling lines to present Chinese primitive and liberal aesthetics, and pastel neutral colors to create an atmosphere of elegance and tranquility.

The villa's unique properties lie in its use of traditional movable wooden screens. The shape of these screens, which came from the designers' intensive research of traditional decorative patterns, are the only visual element of tradition in the whole space. The use of screens reflects the Chinese scenery theory of virtual and tangible. The virtual are fulfilled by the tangible, the tangible are upgraded by the virtual, creating a unique construction mode for the villa. The overall layout and atmosphere present an oriental living style of spiritual dreamland.

The villa is made of wood grain marble, wallpaper, and teakwood, and spans 600 square meters. The original building contains four floors, each can be seen by the other; they seem exposed and interactive to each other, but still independently closed to themselves. This design creates a sense of intrigue and wonder, as one can linger wherever they walk, but still wonder some exceeding beauty hidden somewhere else.

The villa was designed over a period of four months. The designers faced the challenge of reviving traditional Chinese culture in a time when it is being forgotten. They had to understand the inner spirit and essence of traditional Chinese culture and use it on function, forms, material, and color. This was a tough and a must experience process, but the result is a design that is truly unique and reflective of Chinese tradition.

The Hongkan Lingshijun Pulin Type-C Villa is a testament to YI Chen & Muchen Zhang's ability to create a space that is both contemporary and deeply rooted in Chinese tradition. It is a perfect fusion of classic charm and modern comfort, and a reflection of the designers' unique interpretation of traditional Chinese culture. The villa was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2016, a testament to its outstanding design and the designers' prodigy and wisdom.