HOT Design studio is located at No. 138, Pingxingguan Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai. It is a duplex office space with a single-story area of ​​about 40 square meters and a net height of about 5m. It sits on the 19th floor with a relatively good view. Our goal is to rationally configurate various functions with “extreme creativity”.

▼室内空间一览 Overview of the interior space ©刘俊男

The uneven height concrete beams at the top, the black steel structure system at the mezzanine floor, as well as the disordered pipes made the original space looks chaotic. In order to highlight HOT Design Studio’s design philosophy of ‘futuristic pioneer’ and ‘extreme creativity’, we decided to make the office a pure white space, and cover all auxiliary systems under the white touchable “skin”. White pvc flooring system offers good stain resistance. The white walls, cabinets and stairs are chosen correspondently. Super-long desktops covered with white micro-cement on both sides connect steps near entrance, at the same time avoid the plank seams. All the elements in the space are perfectly followed same geometric language and integrated into each other exquisitely. By covering the beams and MEP system, the celling gets more ‘pure value’. Upon it, we select magnetic track lights as our main lighting method, which enrich and diversify the lighting atmosphere as well as maintain the pure value.

Lighting plays an important role in the space. By turning on or off, the studio presents two completely different experiences – the former creates a light, agile and sci-fi high-tech charm, while the latter presents a stronger sense of geometric construction. The futuristic corridor at the entrance becomes a transition bridge between indoor and outdoor spaces, which quickly switching people from the hustle and bustle city environment to the creative office scene. Linear lights on wall cabinets and bookshelves not only provide auxiliary lighting, but also outline the rhythm of the space. The functional elements on magnetic track lights include: grille spotlights, strip floodlights, and 36° spotlights. Together with built-in deep tube anti-glare spotlights, the office can meet different needs of space use. The desktops and steps look floating from the floor since we outline them with light strips underneath, which provides a relaxed and pleasant working experience.