The Mix City

In this project, a social club for men, an almost completely transparent and open quality defines the space. The richly patterned, dark oak wall panels throughout the rooms set off the atmosphere of exclusivity and intoxication. Rich accents of gold catch the eye within the brown-ochre tones of the color scheme, and together with the dark green leather, natural dark timber, textured metal, and polished stone, create a classic movie-like setting with dramatic flair. The entrance hall incorporates a partition of metal mesh, matched with a polished jade table with legs of dark walnut. Overall, the reception space is divided into two areas, one for tea drinking and the other dedicated to wine tasting. The tea drinking area uses a set of minimalist modern furniture, and the flower arrangement on the tabletop brings a fresh yet modest wabi-sabi sensibility to this space. The rare tea set with snow-colored glaze comes from the Shanghai Glass Art Museum, providing a warm and delicate presence for visitors here. The designers have placed an abstract artwork above the black wall panel on one side of the tea area – roughly the same length as the tea table, it presents a delicate gradient which recalls the subtle tones of Pu'er tea strains, adding another layer of nuance to the tea drinking ritual. This project, designed with business receptions and casual socializing in mind, has taken both Chinese and Western aesthetic principals and lifestyle approaches and fused them into a richly comfortable yet elegant space, allowing for lively meetings or relaxed unwinding, whatever the mood. Here, businessmen will find the perfect environment to leave behind the busy world of the city, in order to unwind and refresh themselves in anticipation of future endeavours.