6 minute read
“Design is for people”
Bird’s-eye view. The fall colors and long shadows add a layer of interest to the space. The forum is aimed at fostering the engagement of visiting scholars, researchers and dignitaries from around the world.
© Angie McMonigal Photography
Between East and West, the human component and openness to the world make the difference in architecture and space design
Our conversation with Joe Cheng, founder of the CCD Cheng Chung firm with offices in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, revealed two basic pillars of his design method and the firm’s long history, which boasts an impressive roster of projects in hospitality, work spaces, and residences of international hotels and developers. The first pillar is a ceaseless desire to show the world the Chinese perspective and Eastern lifestyle through projects that convey the fascination of the East using Western technologies. “In our designs, we integrate traditional oriental culture with international trends to introduce the Orient to the world.” The second key concept is that design is made for people by people. While we need to move our attention to the ways in which people live and interact with spaces, it is also important for designers to experience the world to become creative and innovative. “The process of constantly feeling, thinking and innovating keeps design alive.” Of course, this also relies on the rapid development of technology, a component that the firm has always integrated into its space design.
author: Alessandra Bergamini portrait photo: courtesy of CCD projects photo: courtesy of CCD (CCD Headquarters, Shenzhen), Wang Ting & Zhu Hai (Suning Zhongshan Golf Resort Nanjing), Wang Ting (W Changsha), Wang Ting & Qiu Xin (Dongfengyun Hotel Mile Mgallery, Mile City), CCD owns all the copyright
What would you choose to tell us about your education and the beginning of your career? I completed my undergraduate degree in environmental art design at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. After graduation, I went to South China University of Technology where I began to systematically study architectural design. After receiving a postgraduate degree there in 1991, I had the honor of staying on to teach. I started designing for clients while still a student, so I have gained a lot of practical experience in design.
Could you please explain to us what you mean by “experience-oriented interior spaces”? Experience is quite a multifaceted concept in people- or user -oriented spaces. The most important thing in design is the client’s experience and requirements, in every respect. Design is for people. It is more than just the display of design concepts and skills. We need to pay more attention to the people occupying and using the spaces we are designing. In an era like this, design blends with art, work blends with life, and beauty blends with practicality. Traditional boundaries and original rules are broken to respond to various lifestyles. This approach is encapsulated by the Mix Match Life Experience Center, located at the 48F office of the CCD headquarters in the Greater Bay Area, China. The project fuses a playful spirit of exploration with technological elements to create fantastic visual appeal and features. The project is an office space that overturns traditional interior design. It includes a workspace, a coffee bar, an open kitchen, a book bar, a soundproof booth, a lecture hall, a floating conference room and an art gallery. It also functions as a showroom for world-class products and a product museum from which CCD will build an online and offline technology platform. Here, people can not only work, but also host events like art shows, film screenings, academic lectures, coffee tastings, and other business and leisure activities. People can interact in infinite ways because of the natural communication that happens here.
Your work spans from hotels to residences and offices. Which building type right now is the most innovative from your design point of view? Does this kind of innovation owe a lot to recent scientific and technological development? Design always requires innovative thinking. Both hotel and residential design require innovation. CCD has always had a competitive edge when it comes to creativity. Many innovations have emerged with the rapid development of science and technology that we have integrated with the concept of spatial design. This is how our design projects stay forwardlooking and keep up with the times. These “boundary breaking” innovative designs and constant reflection keep CCD at the forefront of the design industry. Being creative as a designer is also inseparable from experiencing life. I often encourage our team to live life to the fullest, in addition to working. I tell them to have experiences abroad and to stimulate their imaginations. This helps them come up with new ideas and try new things. This process of constantly feeling, thinking and innovating keeps design alive.
CCD Headquarters, Shenzhen
And what is your design approach? Each time we receive a new project, we develop a deep understanding of it, delving into the local culture and integrating its particularities into the design. We use cultural elements to evoke memories and tell the design story. CCD promotes the cultural confidence and innovation of the East. In our designs, we integrate traditional oriental culture with international trends to introduce the Orient to the world.
Considering your clients, design culture, and culture more generally, how would you describe the relationship you aim to create between East and West? The core concept of CCD is to present the Chinese perspective and the Oriental lifestyle to the world according to the design approach of “embodying Eastern charm using Western techniques.” Our newly designed Changsha W Hotel is a good example. W Hotels is a Western brand and Changsha City has a great sense of history and a distinctive civic culture. Today, this renowned historical city is known nationwide as a fashionable hub. We started our design by thinking of how to integrate these elements. Changsha is the name of a star in the sky and the city of Changsha is also called the Star City. Our interior design was inspired by the name Star City and the Changsha Star. Referencing both the genes of Changsha City and the W brand, we turned the design of the W Hotel into a cosmic adventure. The concept behind the design of the lobby was to magnify the universe by 300 times and embed cosmic elements like galaxies, planets and meteorites. The Star of the Universe concept is meant to stimulate our imaginations. Star constellations were deconstructed and reorganized to form the Avenue of Stars. Everyone on earth is a star in the future. The brave heroes of our history looked up and chased after new frontiers beyond the horizon. In our design of the RUNWAY Bar, we took an artistic approach to endow the starry sky with beauty, courage and sustenance. The blooming starlit ceiling evokes fantasy, splendor and mysterious visual expression, projecting hopeful, unconstrained imagination into the space. Our design of the restaurants was based on the idea of an artistic journey through the galaxy. The ZETA Explorer takes you on a new creative adventure through time and space. The design concept of the guest rooms is the “ideal star city” with a warm, comfortable style that makes guests feel at home.
