Introduction
The Xi Garden Art Office, situated within a Beijing industrial campus, stands as a groundbreaking, revolutionary project redefining conventional office spaces. Designed by the firm Plat Asia, the project creates a vibrant, dynamic, fluid-structure through its biomorphic interiors and interactive lighting system.
Characterized by undulating curves and minimalist features, the interior radiates a futuristic charm that captivates and inspires visitors. The architects reference nomadic yurt spaces and natural forms in the design of Xi Garden Art Office, composing a ‘journey from scenes to spirits.’
Nomadic Culture Within Urban Context: A Spatial Journey
The concept of the Xi Garden Art Office was focused on the phrase ‘Nomad-In-Urban’ which aims to seamlessly integrate nomadic culture into the urban fabric. The lifestyle is connected to the urban context through forms that symbolize natural features like deserts, mountains, steppes, rivers, and the sky.
Lead architect Nandin explores two experimental directions to create a nomadism-inspired spatial experience. The first was a constructive configuration of theatrical spaces arranged functionally and directed not by layout logic but by systemized pulse lighting to generate emotions. The second emphasizes expressing nomadic culture through dynamic design, intelligent lighting systems, and unique materials.
The team aimed to create a space that triggers creativity and imagination, deviating from the regular and mundane office environments that can leave individuals feeling numb. The result is a space that restores spirits, drawing vigor from nature like in nomadic cultures.
In Chinese culture, Xi translates to ‘joy,’ reflecting the core idea behind the design philosophy. The Xi Garden Art Office strives to provide excitement and a spiritual experience, encouraging individuals to unleash their creative energy in a new and innovative office layout. The office space emits creativity, and inspiration, aligning seamlessly with the philosophy of prioritizing how people feel in a space.
Biomorphism and Merging Lifestyles in Contemporary Design
Biomorphic design elements used in Xi Garden Art Office strengthen our affinity towards living nature and organic elements of the environment. The designers employed this technique to narrate the organic spatial arrangement inside, to connect users to nature through its forms, patterns, textures, shapes, and contours.
Nandin emphasizes the core value of nomadic life —adaptation to varying environments. In contrast, modern life involves adapting to different workspaces and roles in urban settings. The Xi Garden Art Office seeks to merge these two lifestyles through its contemporary design, offering a ‘free space’ that acts as a nature-filled, exciting core active space for the office.
Central to the nomadic cultural design of Xi Garden is a public space, resembling a rock sculpted by the wind. This multipurpose area serves as a stage, encouraging gathering, resting, and dispersing—activities aligned with nomadic behavior. Gently twisting corridors mimic narrowed canyons, while aluminum slices simulate water streams, creating a feeling of dynamic wilderness in the urban context.
Lighting Dynamics
The carefully composed lighting system called the ‘phenomenon of illumination’ used in Xi Garden Art Office interacts with the movement of visitors, creating a controllable color atmosphere inside the structure and providing an immersive experience. The lighting system generates a sense of mystery and movement by its unpredictable light patterns and changing colors. Visitors experience the same spaces through different viewpoints due to the regularly changing, vividly colored atmospheres. The lighting can be adjusted according to the functions planned in the spaces or to the time of the day outside.
The blue lights are projected on the translucent membrane ceiling along with air-moving aluminum slices at the reception hall, revealing it as a ‘Sky film’ and creating the form of a Mongolian yurt-like space. It forms a Tangeri (“the great sky” in Mongolian) conceived in the steppe. Culturally important features like this enhance the space, linking the past with the innovative spaces of the future.
Paradigm Shift and the Future of Workspaces
The Xi Garden Art Office in Beijing is a step towards a future where offices are not just places to work but places to explore, create, and feel alive. The emphasis is on creating a friendly, welcoming, and inspiring environment, breaking away from the confines of a singular typology. By embracing innovative technology and materials, and a nomadic-inspired concept, it breaks away from the idea of what an office space represents traditionally.
The biomorphic interior along with its dynamic lighting system creates an ever-changing atmosphere throughout the building, making the navigation of the space a captivating journey, far removed from the mundane nature of traditional office environments. The designers used a variety of exploratory material palettes like self-leveling cement, fluorocarbon coatings, latex paint, air-moving slices, curved frameless photoelectric glass, translucent finish membranes, reflective transfer films, and pulse lighting strips to create this futuristic office space.
Plat Asia’s design philosophy and commitment to experimentation result in a workspace that not only serves its functional purpose but also fosters creativity, inspiration, and a unique connection with nature within an urban landscape.
