Early architecture was built maybe merely to accommodate people. As time changes, city breath permeates into architecture and stamps them with urbanization. Just like the old residential buildings in Shanghai.
建筑在生成之初也許更多只是容納人的活動的固定空間，而跟隨漫長的時間，城市的生命氣息浸潤到建筑里，使之帶上城市發展進程的印記。上海的老公房便是如此。
concept | 概念
This seven-story old residential building is located downtown Shanghai. The renovation is for a studio apartment less than 40 square meters uppermost. The apartment is north-south direction shaped long and narrow. Entrance at north, balcony southernmost. According to the original route, it takes 11 to 12 seconds to walk from entrance to balcony.
What if we change this constant speed in monotonous action to something more exciting?
Let’s go back to the very beginning. First you walk into the residence, pass along an open stair outside the lane buildings, reach the second floor, heading east-west, and come to door of the right building. Then you start climbing, make 10 turns, up to the 7th floor. You open the door, taking a breath. High and open, through the whole apart ment, you see a row of metasequoia trees outside the window.
這棟隸屬于長寧區的七層高住宅樓是上海老公房居民小區里的一座，改造主體為其頂層的一間小公寓，面積不足40平方米。房間是狹長的南北走向，由北面大門進入，最南端為陽臺。如果不加以任何改變，從大門走到陽臺，以常人走路的一般速度最多花費11、12秒。
如果這種單調的勻速行進活動被改變了呢？
回到什么都還沒有發生的時候。走進小區，走一段搭建在建筑外墻外的露天樓梯來到二樓，沿著東西向的公共走道走到對應的門洞前，上樓，拐10次彎，到了七樓，打開門，得站在門口喘一會兒因為爬樓的緣故，然后，沒有任何障礙物遮擋地穿透整個空間，眼睛望見了最南端窗外的一排杉樹。
window view | 窗景
Exactly, tree is the inspiration. If not on top of the building, on 3rd or 4th floor – no matter which floor, the trees that are beyond the front buildings couldn’t been seen so completely. Trunk to tip, they beautifully connect the sky and make it a unique scene.
To carry out the conception, whole row of the window facing south is designed to be folded. Open fully from right to left reveals a spacious rectangle, a picture of what you see frames into the whole room.
是的，杉樹，這正是此項目設計構思的起源。如果不是在頂層的這間公寓，而是三層、四層──無論哪里，都不能如此完整地看見超出公寓樓前方建筑屋頂部分的杉樹，從樹干到樹梢，與天空連結成一片，成為獨特景觀。
為了完成這個構思，公寓朝南的整排窗戶被設計成折疊形狀。自右向左完全推開后，一個長方形的寬闊洞口顯現出來，使目力所及的景象定格為一幅畫面，融為公寓的一個組成部分。
cabinet and balcony | 衣柜與陽臺
living and bathing | 起居與洗浴
Space is not cut apart by functional usage. Partition walls or doors are left behind. There are four spaces in all from north to south. By changing altitude of floor and ceiling and together applying different materials, the characteristic of the space is fully expressed and the distance extended when moving in. You feel it’s like in a courtyard, from one depth to two, and to three depths…with that picture of ‘the beauty of metasequoia trees’ throughout.
功能并不作為劃分空間的依據，不同區域之間也不設立墻、門作為隔斷。從北至南共有四個空間，地面和天花板的高度變化，以及不同材料的使用，既表達了空間的特質，又拉長了行進活動中的距離感，好比在一處院落中，從一進行至二進，行至三進……而那幅“杉樹之美”始終貫穿其中。
washing and rinsing | 盥洗
upper hollowed mirror as partition | 上部鏤空的鏡面隔斷
junction of various materials | 多種材料的交接
In this renovation, common concept of furniture is not used. Instead, furniture is made up like architecture. The primary identification of terms such as floor, table, chair, bed, cabinet etc., is featured by the material used. Shape and position is naturally not that important.
Actions diversified in the limited immutable space.
在這里，普遍概念里的家具被放棄了，取而代之的是讓家具變得更像建筑。地板、臺面、桌椅、床、儲物柜等被識別的首要特征來自所使用的材料，其功能也可跟隨材料而得到擴展。家具的形狀和位置變得不重要。
在不可變的小空間里，人的活動自由可變。
bathing and kitchen | 洗浴區與廚房
table and bookshelf | 桌子與書架
overall view | 公寓全景
resting and balcony | 休憩區
nightfall view | 傍晚
plan | 平面圖
