Peep: A Blend of Tradition and Modernity

Guorong Luo's Award-Winning Modular Screen Inspired by Chinese Culture

Guorong Luo drew inspiration from two significant elements of Chinese culture: landscape painting and the oil-paper umbrella. The designer extracted the outline of the landscape into smooth curves to create a hierarchical design. The interplay between clouds and mountains, represented by translucent materials and traditional Chinese Xuan papers, creates a sense of depth and mystery. The design also borrows from the concept of Chinese gardens, where the scenery changes with the viewer's perspective.

Peep is not just a decorative piece; it is a functional, user-friendly furniture. As a modular screen, it can be adjusted according to the user's needs, fitting various interior environments. Users can move each frame up and down, left and right, to create their unique screen and decide the space they want to hide behind it. This customization aspect adds a personal touch to the design, making it more appealing to the user.

The production of Peep employs metal bending techniques and CNC machining. The round frames are made of metals, either powder-coated, copper, or chrome, while the screen's surfaces are made of translucent plastics and traditional Chinese Xuan papers. The screen measures 1500 mm in width, 405 mm in depth, and 1640 mm in height, making it a perfect fit for most interior spaces.

Peep's design process began in February 2017 in New York and was completed in March 2017. Guorong Luo conducted extensive market research, interviews with leading furniture and interior designers, and consumer research with key target segments. The designer's meticulous approach and attention to detail resulted in a well-designed screen that is not only affordable but also capable of mass production.

One of the challenges Guorong Luo faced was integrating three unique Chinese cultural elements: Peep, landscape painting, and the oil-paper umbrella. The designer successfully combined these elements, creating a comfortable relationship of scale and positive and negative space. The result is a design that allows consumers to appreciate and understand the culture behind it.

In conclusion, Peep is a testament to Guorong Luo's ability to reinterpret and balance the aesthetic relationship between the East and the West, tradition and modernity. This award-winning design is a perfect example of how art, design, and technology can come together to create a piece of furniture that is not only functional but also culturally significant and aesthetically pleasing.