Joseph Dejardin’s studio oversaw the renovation of a 12000sqm former factory building at Chenfeng Group’s Kunshan campus near Shanghai, South China.
Here the design turns the garment production workshops and administrative offices into contemporary fashion studios, always in respect of their original structure. Let’s find out more about this project and the marble they used!
the Project
Chenfeng Group is one of the most important textile and clothing companies in China (production partner to Patagonia, Uniqlo, Stella McCartney, Feng Chen Wang, and Xu Zhi) and, as a consequence, it followed a significant redevelopment masterplan to transform the headquarter into a creative hub dedicated to the ever-growing Chinese fashion design. Located at the border of Kunshan City and Shanghai, Chenfeng Group’s factory campus was set up in 2003 and includes over 15,000 employees. The building was turned from a “conventional” facility into a modern fashion hub, which is also an example of design. The keyword is “continuity” in the structure to create a harmonious solution between all spaces, from the effective factory to the studio, involving all floors. Within the building, every space was renovated: from the grand entrance lobby to the communal areas, from the meeting spaces to the administration offices, in order to make the factory accessible and homogeneous in every point. “We wanted to work with the existing as much as possible, only making changes where necessary to adapt and improve the building’s function,” said Joseph Dejardin, founder and design director of the studio. “For us, it was important to work economically with the building to maximize the flexibility of the spaces and create a working environment that will meet the functional demands of the occupants well into the future.” Respect of the main features and introduction of new and modern materials to make it avant-garde: this is its signature style that involved the use of materials like marble, granite, white painted plaster, mirrored glass and brushed aluminum. All of this also using high-quality finishes to underline its timelessness. “We feel that our attempts to retain the essential character of the spaces within the building succeeded and lend the project an atmosphere that is uniquely representative of the client company and its history,” added Joseph Dejardin.
the Marble Used
Among the materials, marble certainly stands out: the lobby, in fact, features a dark red marble floor that, juxtaposed with an illuminated stretch membrane ceiling, emphasizes the encounter between past and present of the factory, between classicism and modernity. The dark red marble floor can also be found in all entrances, creating a visual continuity and a significant visual impact. As for the rest, the majority of the walls are painted in clear white, with the concrete exposed beams emphasizing the industrial soul of this building. The glazed façades and windows are in stainless steel, instead. Lastly, granite is used across floors, doorways, and walls in some areas, complementing the project in a linear, at times geometric way: all without ever being aseptic but rather always allowing the natural light to enter and warm up the spaces.
the studio
Based both in London and Shanghai, Joseph Dejardin is a multi-disciplinary design and architecture studio working across interiors, set design and installations, exhibitions and furniture. Moreover, it is involved in several fashion collaborations and with several brands to create a dialogue between all the fields, declinable both in modern and classical terms. Photo credit: www.archdaily.com
