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Architects: Facet Studio
- Area: 180 m²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs:Andrew Chung
“The moment customers step into the shop, I want them to step out of the city” was the task given to us at our first briefing meeting. For this hair salon located amongst the frenzy of Chinatown, to provide a potent dosage of relaxation for people in the city with very limited time, we first analysed “what contributes to us sensing relaxation in city”.
We found 2 elements: “boundary” and “nature”.
“Sense of Boundary”
We layered porous and translucent boundaries to divide the functions, rather than solid walls. When one is in one space, spaces adjacent can always be felt; the sense of space is never limited to the physical space. This in turn contributes to a feeling of expansiveness, and blurs the abruptness of hard boundary.
“Sense of Nature”
By installing ceiling fans to generate “wind” and dividing spaces with translucent curtains and porous “jungle gym”, we allowed air movement to freely circulate within the space. Furthermore, the curtains capture the air movement and make this invisible natural phenomenon visible in the internal space; this enhances the sense of nature and brings people away from artificiality associated with “city”.
We believe by visualising natural phenomenon, we are able to provide an enhanced sense of relaxation and comfort.
