MATERIAL
PRECEDENT
Project: Yoga Studio
Location: Shanghai, China
Architects: Kostas Chatzigiannis Architecture
Area: 480 m²
Year: 2017
This yoga studio in Shanghai, designed by KCA, seeks to
provided a serene sensory experience in contrast to the
dense surrounding environment. The overall design of this
project focuses on the materiality and sensory. Walls
are covered with pebble stones, terrazzo and cement.
Warmer materials such as wood, bamboo, woven straw
and tatami mattresses are used to counter-balance the
rougher materials. “An Asian touch is introduced in
terms of materials, colors, textures and light
quality, centered around the main principle of
tranquility” (Chatzigiannis, 2017). The yoga classrooms
balance between privacy and openess, by a large
revolving door and an 8-meter folding door. Inside
the rooms, there is a collection of woven baskets and
cluster of lamps hang from the ceiling. These create an
immersive visual experience that enhances the practice
of yoga. I am drawn to this project as the design relies
on the material to create such sensory experience above
performing yoga.
Fig. 3-5
Yoga Studio designed by Kostas Chatzigiannis
Architecture. (Tintner, Yun Pu, 2017)
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