Reviving Tradition: M.Y.Lab Wood Workshop by Fan Jiujiang

Reimagining Conventional Techniques in Modern Urban Spaces

The M.Y.Lab Wood Workshop is a unique project that breathes new life into a conventional technique. Located in the Changning District of Shanghai, the workshop occupies the first floor of a warehouse that was once the Dongfeng Sofa Factory. The task was to refurbish the 300㎡ one-storey warehouse into a two-storey commercial space, to be operated as a wood crafting learning centre.

The design concept was inspired by the nostalgia of traditional wood crafting, a technique often overlooked in our modern urban lifestyle. The design team, led by Fan Jiujiang, aimed to create a space where this craft could be rediscovered and appreciated as a valuable piece of our cultural heritage.

The design of the workshop is unique, featuring a combination of metal sheets coated with black fluorocarbon, oak panels, and white paint. These materials, along with the terrazzo floorings and walls in the main space, and the black metal ceiling above, create a harmonious theme of materials and colours. The design also includes a narrow and lofty corridor as the entrance to the main space, with a series of display cabinets and LED screens installed on the wooden wall.

One of the most distinctive features of the workshop is the 'archaeological excavation site' recreation in the original space with the height of 5 metres. The main wood crafting room is secluded, positioned on the sunken floor behind the entrance wall. Above this space is a massive pent roof, formed by a black metal mesh, allowing sunlight to spill into the room and endow it with a sense of ritualistic beauty.

The project faced several challenges, including the introduction of two black metal boxes into the route. One box, with a staircase inside, serves as a transportation junction between the two storeys, with its tilted top paralleling the form of the ceiling in the main space. The other box, functioning as the tearoom, is located between the attached room and its yard as a pathway, bringing formative diversity into the space.

The M.Y.Lab Wood Workshop project was designed between October 2016 and December 2016, with construction completed in June 2017. It has since been recognised for its innovative design, winning Silver in the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2018. This award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation.