Beijing Club: A Modern Take on Traditional Chinese Architecture

Isabelle Zhao Peng's Award-Winning Design Merges Past and Present

The Beijing Club is not just a traditional Chinese architecture; it is a testament to the coexistence of old and new. Rather than merely reviving the former glory of the structure or completely refurbishing it, Isabelle Zhao Peng has allowed the current moment and memories to coexist. The design focuses on the flow within the space, rather than individual elements such as walls or columns.

The inspiration for this design came from various sources, including the poetic living research project by Isabelle, which encourages people to think poetically about their daily lives. The traditional Chinese architecture, with its unique layout and structure, isolates the noise and hustle from the outside, while the courtyard in the middle brings vitality to the space. This private garden allows people to connect with nature and the universe.

The realization of this design was a careful process. The contact surface of the existing architecture and the newly built part was treated prudently, with metal strips or separating seams used to handle the joint parts. The materials used include lacquer, mosaic, stucco, laminated glass, wooden veneer, wooden floor, brick, and stainless steel. The total area, including the courtyard, is 400 square meters.

The design faced several challenges, including the integration of new elements into the courtyard and the creation of a new atmosphere that could merge the existing and the modern. The focus was not on designing a piece of wall or floor, but on creating a new flow of space. The lighting was designed to extend the original temperament of the space to the newly built objects.

The Beijing Club is a private clubhouse located in Beijing. The project started in November 2018 and was completed in June 2019. Isabelle Peng rethought the new look of the courtyard by capturing the breath of the space. Following the concept of The Shade Rouge, she restored the building to its original structure and then reorganized to develop the mottled red by modern craftsmanship and the rendering of light. The copyrights of the design belong to IK Design, 2019.