Bring a strong oriental aesthetic value to a contemporary project: that’s the leading idea inspiring architect T.K. CHU in the renovation of a villa in the historic Chinese city of Suzhou. The project connects functionality with a total respect for Chinese culture.

The villa is a fluid space, characterized by large windows that allow light to penetrate the interior, in a continuous search for interaction with nature. If wood, the guiding material in the Chinese tradition, plays an important role in the design of the house, it is above all white marble, belonging more to the West-ern tradition, which conveys a sense of cleanliness with a deliberate reference to the Chinese land-scape painting. Fluidity is one of the key words of this project and we can see in the stairs, designed as an integration of the spaces, a smooth and natural transition from one floor to another.

The villa is arranged on several levels, including one under-ground and the connection between the spaces is essential for a serene habitability. Architect T.K. Chu often insists that the mission of the architect is not to design just for styling but to create comfort and softness, to make the owners’ lives beautiful, easy and harmonious. This explains the presence of the fireplace, a strong element in the furnishings of the living room but rather strange for South China where Suzhou is located. Climate change has led to colder winters and the presence of the fireplace is a sign of the total search for comfort that is the basis of projects by the Taiwanese architect.

Project name: Suzhou Yanlord Tang Island Villa 107

Location: Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

Project area: 623㎡

Designer: T.K.CHU Design

Main materials: petrified wood, fish-belly white stone, metal parts, thick veneer, baking varnish

Photographer: Wang Ting

Completion date: January，2018