Vanke Moon Over The Sea: A Poetic Metaphor in Design

Exploring the Award-Winning Design by IAPA Pty. Ltd

The project, a Sale Center, draws its inspiration from Chinese poetry where the sea is often a metaphor for life or infinite power, and the moon a symbol of hope and emotional expressions. The design team at IAPA Pty. Ltd has ingeniously translated this metaphor into a physical space, creating floating boxes that hang like objects in the space above a seamless and integrated space, representing the sea. A sculptural staircase connects these elements, adding a dynamic element to the design.

What sets the Vanke Moon Over The Sea project apart is its emphasis on continuity. The design begins from the red copper rusted steel plate of the reception desk and runs by the staircase through all spaces, giving the space a sculptural feel. The use of white terrazzo and red copper rust steel forms a stark contrast, making the space more dramatic and interesting. The floating box, serving as the showroom, combines windows that connect the interior to the exterior, creating a sense of in-between space.

The realization of this design was made possible through the extensive use of white terrazzo, which lends a high level of seamlessness to the interior space. The staircase, made out of stainless steel plate, adds a sculptural element to the space. The contrast between these two materials enhances the spatial atmosphere of the project.

The project was a transformation of a primary gymnasium school into a selling center. The huge empty space provided an opportunity to embed part of the program into a floating box, keeping the ground level as a free plan to maximize the dynamism of the interior space. This allows visitors to experience the space freely in a continuous way, enjoying various spatial qualities and visiting diverse spaces.

The Vanke Moon Over The Sea project was designed in 2018 and is located in Guangzhou, Guandong, China. It was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2020, a testament to the design's outstanding creativity and trendsetting qualities. This project is a shining example of how design can transcend its formal agencies, creating a space for imagination with a cultural domain.