Vantree Design: Winner of World Design Awards 2023. In the book “The Sense of Order”, Ernst H. Gombrich uses the decorative art of natural history to explain to readers the profound significance of order perception. With an entire display of books and reading, we also tried to establish a set of rules and order for the reading space in the exhibition. We regarded the South China Book Festival as a whole that full of meaning and connotation, so the theme content, functional layout, and streamline relationship of the exhibition area are sorted out and coordinated. The creation of a “sense of order” is different from purely formal design, but aims to establish a coordinate system in space. Through the reference system of perception and order, we can learn from the inherent laws of spatial activities, “pre-plan” the logic of streamlines, and find rich and identifiable spatial rhythms.

Nodes of sensory experience are placed in the exhibition space to create a unique logical order in each area. In this way, the entire venue is connected to form a varied and complete order experience. “Study room in the Flower City” – the interior design interprets and responds to the theme of the exhibition in an overall.

The exhibition area covers 9,050 square meters and only took two days to build. The point of the design is how to make it in-depth and meaningful within the limited time, and make the effect of the space to be more hierarchical and orderly. Therefore, designers chose the unique and characteristic culture in Canton, The Chen’s Lineage Hall as prototype, forming a clear spatial circulation in the formal order of “Three entrances and five rooms”.

Combining different colors of flowers with six “YUE” (Cantonese:Cantonese rhyme, Reading·National Reading, Yue·traveling through the past and present, Pleasure·enjoying life, Music·poetry is boundless, Leap·leap to create the future), corresponding to different floral languages ​​and refined patterns also enhance the recognition of the exhibition area, symbolizing the historical imprint of urban reading from the past to the present and to the future. Meanwhile, the visual transparency of the space and the accessibility of the internal connect each zone together. These ultimately make external integrity, internal openness, and perceptual order jointly constitute the unique spatial rhythm of the South China book festival.

Reading·National Reading: As the entrance space of the exhibition, the orange Punicagranatum symbolizes wealth and happiness, and the scroll-shaped bookshelf displays the new era themed publications.

Cantonese·Cantonese rhythm: The largest theme space in the exhibition uses Kapok as the representative color, which symbolizes prosperity, miracle and vitality. Elements such as Manchurian windows, houses with wok ears, and sails jointly display the characteristics and development achievements of Canton.

Yue·traveling through the past and present: The blending of traditional culture and national trend culture is vibrant and prosperous as the green dianthus. The different translations of the ancient and modern forms of the Moon gate imply the theme of crossing and integrating the past and the present.

Pleasure·enjoying life: The sunflower, which symbolizes sunshine, cheerfulness and positivity, creates the aesthetics of modern reading in life. Five different special styles reflect different modes of integrating reading into life.

Music·poetry is boundless: The mysterious, romantic and charming lavender and the classic “legendary sound” present readers with different experiences of “reading” and “reading music”, allowing them to feel the centuries-old artistic charm from life.

Leap·leap to create the future: The little blue swallow yearning for a better life carries a leap in reading experience in the new era. It integrates modern technology into reading methods to create an interactive reading exhibition area with the hope of future.

Project Details
Firm
Vantree Design

Architect
Muchuan Xu

Project Name
South China book festival

World Design Awards Category
Cultural Built

Project Location
Guangzhou

Team
Muchuan Xu, Junjie Li, Dongxi He, Guanbao Ye, Fangtong Yi, Jiajun Yin, Xiaoao, Dongming Shen, Shangzhao Yang, Xingchen Song, Kebei Chen

Country
China

Photography ©Credit
©Vantree Design

Vantree Design specializes in the interior design of star hotels and commercial space. We have a team of skilled senior interior designers who are experienced and innovative, steady and vigorous. Some of designers have been invited to be in charge of the design and executive design for many top-class international hotels, which makes us to become one of the most powerful executive interior design teams in Guangzhou. Our projects have covered over 50 cities around the nation. Since foundation, we have won the highest honors in many domestic and foreign professional awards of industrial image.