Raffles City Chongqing T3N “One Altitude” Residential Showflat
Launch Date｜2020.9，Address｜Chongqing Raffles City, No. 8 Jisheng Street, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
Mesopotamia, the site where the oldest trace of human civilization existed, bred the western culture in the early period of human history. Accordingly, nature guided humans to reside near the river, but at the same time, such locations were also what men waged wars for. Raffles City Chongqing is located at the confluence of the rivers in Chaotianmen, where the Yangtze River joins the Jialing river. Therefore, it shares characteristics with such historical sites: possessing the most magnificent views and profound cultural heritage.
In “Lanting Xu”, Wang Xizhi has written that “As for this day, the sky is clear and the air is fresh; the mild breeze greets us. I look up at the immense universe. I look down at myriad works. As our eyes wander, so do our minds too. Indeed, it is a pure delight for all our senses.”, describing the artists’ salon held for idea exchange and knowledge sharing in ancient China. Up to today, we still aspire to the active intellectual lifestyle adopted by our forebears: playing music, reciting poems, critiquing articles, drinking wine, and enjoying nature with close friends. Employing the oriental concept of focusing on the guests instead of the host, what will the contemporary version of an inspiring gathering look like?
Modern oriental lifestyle is not copying what the old did but instead is about being more inclusive. Like how the rivers join into one, the new lifestyle is also colored with some influences from the western culture. While greeting guests with tea is a ritual embedded in Chinese culture, we also enjoying wine-tasting in all kinds of activities. While the idea of sharing food is rooted in our habit of dinning on a round table, the western style open kitchen is another way of deepening communication.
When dividing the space, an open wall bookshelf stimulates the rhythm of the space, widens the range of space usage, and introduces the best view and light source into the room. Sharing the same space, guests will likely find the conversations become more flowing. In the end, the guest can still enjoy a relaxing moment brought about by the peaceful design, even as the room is designed to be dynamic.
