UNDER ONE ROOF

NAME: EXTERIOR REMODELING, FOTILE STYLE BEIJING;
LOCATION: BEIJING;
YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2016
MATERIALS: RECYCLED BAMBOO, WARM GREY STONES, TILES AND WALNUT.

The remodeled building was originally one that has a north-south stretch and a street running along its east facade. The space inside was dark on account of modest light transmission of green glass curtain walls. Lining the roadside pedestrian walk was a lush growth of trees a bit too dense for the building to have a presence. All these issues demand that the project fashion a facade that has a salient appeal while sticking to the theme “under one roof”.

With one resolute stroke Mr. Lv Yongzhong draws out a long curve that becomes the profile of the overhanging eave and, by the power of proportion, gives the whole building an elevated, commanding air. The bottom of the eave is paved with bamboo, expressing the warmth of a home, a shelter “under one common roof”. The main entrance – a bulging full-height glass box illuminated with ceiling lights – serves to bring about a perceived change of atmosphere, or an accentuated feeling of setting foot into “a formal house”. The old curtain walls are replaced by ultra-clear glass panels UV-printed with a mist pattern that fade out from the top down. The result is both a brisk, bright look of the exterior and an enlivened indoor space.