- Project: Dacheng – Floral Elegance of Jiangnan Sales Office
- Architect: YI Design
- Location: China, Hebei
- Year: 2022
- Area: 1200 m2
- Photography: Wukong Architectural Photography
Dacheng Sales Office by YI Design
Completed in October 2022, the Dacheng – Floral Elegance of Jiangnan Sales Office by YI Design redefines how architecture can connect with nature, culture, and life when constrained by a conventional “box-like” volume. The project embraces flowing curves and sculptural forms to create an immersive spatial journey, weaving together elements of Eastern philosophy, contemporary design, and parametric modeling.
Concept: Rebuilding Internally and Looking at the Universe
Drawing inspiration from the cosmic origins of life and the Eastern creation story of rotating chaos, YI Design sought to express both movement and eternity. The interior abandons rigid right angles, instead embracing curves that echo rivers, waves, clouds, and human forms.
These curves generate a vortex-like spatial core supported by structural columns and layered nested forms. The suspended central volume—connected to both ceiling and floor—anchors the design, creating an expansive, open interior that traditional orthogonal systems could not achieve.
Eastern Curves and Human-Nature Unity
The design emphasizes Eastern curves as more than aesthetic gestures—they are expressions of infinity and harmony between humanity and nature.
The central structure opens into dual curved passages guiding visitors through the space. Around this sculptural heart, functional areas such as the foyer, negotiation rooms, bar, activity spaces, and VIP areas unfold seamlessly, like paths through a landscape park.
The result is a fluid spatial choreography where movement and stillness coexist, allowing users to experience both intimacy and grandeur.
Indoor Landscapes and Experiential Design
The interior becomes a sculptural landscape, with folds and flows spreading outward to form abstract representations of mountains, rivers, and horizons. These gestures simultaneously serve functional needs and create poetic encounters, blurring the line between architecture and art.
Lighting plays a key role: daylight and skylights wash over curves, while at night, indirect illumination mimics starlight. The bar beneath a glowing void transforms into a focal point, while jellyfish-like installations in the washrooms evoke the sensation of being submerged in an underwater world.
Materiality and Spatial Drama
A minimal palette of black, white, and neutral tones emphasizes the sculptural qualities of the curves. Clay bricks, smooth surfaces, and dark stone panels combine with parametric modeling techniques, ensuring both performance and artistry.
A central steel staircase spirals upward, connecting private offices and VIP areas on the second floor. Its twisting geometry enhances the building’s visual drama while reinforcing the theme of fluid continuity.
Parametric Design and the Five Senses
Behind the poetic design lies a rigorous parametric process. YI Design set parameters for geometry, materials, and performance, enabling a precise balance of form and function. The result is a space that appeals not only visually but also to the five senses: light, sound, texture, air, and movement all converge to shape human experience.
Conclusion: The Infinite Within the Curved Form
The Dacheng Sales Office demonstrates how architecture can transcend commercial function to become a spiritual and artistic environment. By embracing curves rooted in Eastern philosophy, the design expresses both strength and softness, order and fluidity.
As architectural critic Michael Sorkin noted, “Its freely flowing space is entirely different from Mies’s modernism but equally powerful.” This project stands as a bold exploration of the infinite within form, creating a sales office that feels more like a cosmic journey than a commercial space.
