In my city, time flows backward, withered trees come alive, vanished scents, sounds, and light are recalled. Demolished courtyards, Hutongs, and temples are restored to their original state. Tile roofs surge toward the low skyline like waves, pigeon whistles resonate in the deep blue sky. Children are familiar with the changes of the seasons, and residents have a sense of direction. – Bei Dao, “City Gate Opens” When mentioning Beijing, most people’s minds will instantly conjure up a picture of a scattered landscape, with square buildings tightly arranged. If viewed from the perspective of a cloud looking down, those channels, like capillaries, spreading out, are the soul of the capital – Hutong. Regardless of the steel and concrete rising from the ground, Hutong has always retained its leisurely image, recording the mundane daily life of ordinary people and carrying the most fundamental memories of the city. Strolling through Wudaoying, a clothing store named “That Curve Water Moon” stands guard among the many other shops and cafes on this bustling street. As the second That Curve store opened in this Hutong, the owner Mina invited her old friend – interior architect Wang Daquan, to once again tailor a unique space for her clothing brand. Wang Daquan, with his unique understanding of traditional culture, focused on the past and present through the overlapping of four key elements, ultimately making the Water Moon store, imprinted with historical traces, a small window to observe the city’s myriad scenes. The first element embraces the withered Hutong, as the “old” of this city. Every brick and tile on the building is like wrinkled skin, and the beams, as the bones beneath the skin, also embody the soul of the old building. The completely preserved beams support the essence of the space, and the slightly applied paint provides a simple backdrop for its soul. The rough texture of the cement is bold, while the bamboo curtain is delicate and elegant in shape. Amidst the shadowy ripples and sensitivity that arise from the collision of objects, the lines of “Mr. Suit” are highlighted as exceptionally clear and simple. The second element stimulates growth. The shop was born in Hutong and grew up in Hutong. The structure of the house already exists, and the design is about creating more possibilities for its interior. The name “Water Moon” comes from a pool of water in the store, full of the meaning of “four waters returning to the hall.” If it rains, raindrops fall along the eaves, the pool collects and encircles this lifeblood, also implying an endless cycle. A feathered maple stands in the pool as an island, secretly revealing its unyielding resilience in the soft water. People inside the glass window look out at it, and it also looks back in from outside. Therefore, it also presents different expressions in response to the unpredictable changes of the seasons. Various coarse earthenware pots hold plants that bloom and fall with the seasons. Osmanthus fragrans, pomegranate, osmanthus, and winter plum, in the midst of the building’s aging, seek transformation, giving birth to a vibrant newness. The third element is the flow of time. The weather changes, the light changes, the atmosphere of people in the space changes, and every thought will change. One cannot step into the same river twice, just as the beautiful scenery before one’s eyes disintegrates and falls apart in the next second, and then forms new colors and images. Since we cannot grasp the ever-changing, we should not be attached or complain. Design should not place itself in a position of omnipotence. Let imperfect things arise and ferment freely, leaving enough space for the unpredictable light and scenery to unfold. Each time we face it, there will be a new touch of emotion. The fourth element is the stillness of the heart. Let yourself sink into the environment, playing the qin and making tea. Things are clearly presented before your eyes, yet they are also faintly visible in the light. In the midst of contemplation, a void arises in the heart, unconsciously enveloped by the comfort of the present moment. Gazing at the pool water, level with the edge, seeming to burst forth, the water reflects a true and benevolent state of mind. Stripped of the attributes of a clothing store, the meaning of the space’s existence is simply to coexist and grow together with people. Using the technique of contemporary interpretation of traditional culture, the genes of Hutong are continued, looking at the culture of the entire city from a local microcosm, a tribute to the past and present by a generation. Project drawings ▲ First floor plan ▲ Second floor plan Project information Project name: Wudaoying Hutong Water Moon Design company: Beijing Tianzuo Space Decoration Design Co., Ltd. Design director: Wang Daquan Design team: Bai Yuanhao Design time: 2018 Completion time: 2019 Project location: No. 59, Wudaoying Hutong, Beijing Project area: 200 square meters Photography: Ma Xiaochun
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