A Designers’ Co-Working Hub

Atelier xy designed Shanghai co-working space Xingfu Park as an inspiring workspace where past and present meet, preserving the original structure of the old building and incorporating contemporary interventions

When Li Xihui, a co-founder of design-led property developer Hidden Group, rented an old house in Shanghai’s Changning district to use as an office, she invited her friends at local design studio Atelier xy to share the space. ‘We were the initial members, along with an interior designer, an asset manager, a soft furnishing designer and a fashion designer,’ Sophia Wang, co-founder of Atelier xy, explains. ‘As more creative individuals joined in the space, a co-working model began to take shape.’

Li envisioned an inspiring environment for innovative entrepreneurs, one where open discussion and collaboration were encouraged, but where individuals could also have privacy and quiet when necessary. When it came time to redesign the space, it was only natural that she turned to Wang and her team to undertake the project.

Wang says she set out to preserve the original bones of the 320-square-metre space and retain its character, central to which are the dark timber roof trusses. With natural light also being a priority, new alterations had to be made. Large windows were installed to let daylight in and the brick walls and slabs built over the years were demolished to enhance the visual flow. This flow was further achieved by stripping away all existing doors, which are a standard feature in traditional offices but didn’t fit with Li’s vision for an open and collaborative space. Now, instead of walls and doors, sections of grey and white wall paint define areas and corridors are divided by stainless steel panels, their industrial feel a stark contrast to the warm wood overhead. ‘The space is now characterised by contrasts between old and new, and cool and warm,’ Wang says.

Text / Nicole Chim
Images / Su Sheng Liang, Tian Fangfang, Hu Yanyun and Li Xihui