Creating a Sense of Place
Beijing-based boutique design practice Office AIO creates beautiful spaces inspired by humble and timeless aesthetics
Born in Hong Kong, Tim Kwan spent most of his childhood in New Zealand, while Taiwan-born Isabelle Sun arrived in New Zealand at the age of 14. The two met at the University of Auckland’s School of Architecture and Planning, but worked in different practices after graduating. After a few years, however, Sun and Kwan relocated to Beijing and cofounded Office AIO in 2014.
‘The greatest challenge for us has been how to maintain a level of control and manage our own expectations, while crafting unique spatial experiences in every project,’ Kwan says. The two draw inspiration from an accumulation of knowledge, beliefs and experiences. ‘We think beauty emerges from reaching a balanced state and defining a sense of sensual simplicity,’ Kwan explains. ‘Aesthetically pleasing things are usually humble and timeless. With this ethos, our projects tend to lean towards minimalism as a basis, with stronger formal gestures, textures or details that contrast with otherwise “white space”.’
Office AIO’s recent projects illustrate this approach. Housed within a monolithic concrete block in Shanghai’s Jing’an neighbourhood, Bar Lotus consists of two staggered rectangular rooms with a subtle division that helps differentiate between the cafe during the daytime and the cocktail bar at night. Adorned with a rich material palette and bespoke detailing, the space comprises five areas: a central gallery, a reception/coffee bar, a cocktail bar and two separate seating areas.
Office AIO remodelled a ground-floor apartment in Beijing for a young couple and their newborn baby. Spread over 150 square metres, the elegant, modern space has off-white and grey tones, and marble and oak flooring. Relocating the traditional Chinese enclosed kitchen from a dark corner of the apartment to the central living area was key to facilitating family interactions.
Also in Beijing, the We Pictures office designed for renowned Hong Kong film director Peter Ho-sun Chan is inspired by the name of the tower — the Genesis building — where it’s located, and is decorated in emerald green, Chan’s favourite colour. ‘We envisioned a space that captures natural light and views of Liangma River running along the south face of the building, with a minimal material palette and detailing,’ says Kwan.
Currently working on a reading-themed boutique hotel, a cafe-bar and design store, and a noodle restaurant, Office AIO continues to create projects based on ‘defining the appropriate reactions towards the cultural and physical context’.
Text / Karine Monié
M’s Apartment
Images / Yiqing Gao
Bar Lotus
Images / Courtesy of Office AIO
We Pictures
Images / Courtesy of Office AIO
