Hengchuang Center / Atelier Xiang

Architects: Atelier Xiang
Location: Heng Tong Guo Ji Chuang Xin Yuan, Chaoyang Qu, Beijing Shi, China
Lead Architects: Kai Xiang
Design Team: Amy Wang, Zhang Yanfeng, Jax Lanzo, Zhang Haibin
Client: BOE
Area: 1700.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Pengfei Wang

Text description provided by the architects. Limo Space is located in the north of Beijing’s most famous 798 art district, one of Beijing’s hottest cultural and creative office areas. Through the remodeling of space and the way of introducing natural light, it has become the model of the most spatial experience in BOE’s office renovation project.

In terms of function, this project has transformed the original single office function into a composite mode suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and Shared office workers.It also added convenience stores, cafes and other service functions to radiate to the surrounding area. It not only leads the new office environment and mode in space, but also becomes the service center of the surrounding office space.

In space, the atrium space used in commercial buildings is used for this office area, and skylight is added in the center position. Sunlight through the skyline sprinkle on the staggered platform, people can feel the warmth of the sun. In order to have more comfortable height space in the office area, the original ground was dug under the bureau. At the same time, the original roof structure was utilized to form three layers of space, and the atrium space was formed within the tenant area. Set the three wooden “boxes”, the use of framing and places in the form of a Chinese garden, a variety of scenarios is formed within the modern space transformation of visual effect, which allow customers who walk along the way will have different feelings.

Shared space is only 30% of the total area, centralized distribution brought a greater sense of space, in order to ensure that the tenant area can get effective economic benefits, at the same time allow customers to experience the feeling of totally different from the traditional office space.

In the face of increasingly serious air quality problems in Beijing, the project makes full use of natural light and a new wind system that can filter smog.With the advanced intelligent control system of BOE itself, the project will have innovative performance in energy saving, water saving, power saving and air quality improving. At the same time, the health, natural and comfortable theme elements of Limo are integrated into the space construction and functional layout, so that customers can experience and feel it in a subtle way.

In order to adapt to the existing environmental features and not make extensive changes in the facade reconstruction, it also reflects Limo’s own low-key but meaningful personality characteristics.After redesigning the existing facade elements, only the “door” and “window” elements are retained but adjusted.The space of the door is exaggerated to form the entrance space with directions.According to the site environment, the north facade forms a small and simple volume in the first floor space, which corresponds to the internal space elements, but has a huge contrast effect in space.

In the end, this project gives a personality characteristic that is compatible with Limo – “reasonable and unexpected.”