Gardening has always been a representation of people’s pursuit of the ideal living environment. This project closely follows the functions of Only Flower floral art studio’s creations and external displays by providing the necessary conditions for florists to create beauty. The interior and exterior spaces merge with each other and integrate organically with the landscape through a unified architectural language. In doing so, a serene and dreamlike “garden of flowers” is created.
The flower — a signifier of beauty and vitality. As a floral studio, we established this simple and beautiful little courtyard in Hongxing Guangyuan Industrial Park in Beijing’s Daxing District, where it was converted from an old factory building. A free-flowing curved glass-brick wall connects the interior and exterior with a cohesive architectural language that leads guests through the entranceway, where they may carry on into the interior, or linger in the courtyard to indulge in a moment of tranquility
The project is functionally divided into two areas: the outer area consists of a 280 square meter workroom and a 180 square meter landscaped courtyard, which satisfies business functions related to external displays, sales, and guest rest areas, in addition to production-related functions such as flower arranging and storage.
The inner area features a total area of 370 square meters and is divided into two floors that include logistics offices and staff accommodation. The project provides logistical support for other stores under the brand while also meeting its own sales and display needs.
The two original cypresses have been retained in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by ornamental leadworts planted at eye level, which creates a vibrant and dynamic core landscape. A 7-meter-high glass and red brick composite wall serves as the end view of the courtyard and separates the display area from the logistics area, while the landscape’s water surface dissolves all of these elements in a hazy reflection, cleansing the outside world and animating the entire courtyard.
The landscape integrates Mongolian oak, white birch, and other trees unique to northern China to complement the brick wall, while conveying the sense of freshness and vigor that characterizes the region. A free-flowing curved glass-brick wall leads guests through the entranceway.
A 7-meter-high glass and red brick composite wall serves as the end view of the courtyard. The architecture integrate with the landscape to create a serene and dreamlike “garden of flowers”. Concealed behind the main lobby is the entrance to the staff’s office. The landscape’s water surface dissolves all of the surrounding elements in a hazy reflection, animating the entire courtyard.
The main parlor supports functions related to sales and floral arrangements. The design has enlarged the original window areas to form three large floor-to-ceiling windows, which not only provide sufficient sunlight for indoor flowers and a bright display space, but also allow the colorful and gorgeous indoor flowers to mirror the outdoor environment, thus complementing the vibrant outdoor courtyard landscape.
The two-story glass flower wall allows customers to wander around and take pictures in front of a wide range of flowers, exemplifying the brand’s identity as a “floral supermarket”. On the second floor, there is a greenery exhibition and a resting area where customers can overlook the flower arranging process.
Through a combination of crystalline glass tiles and red bricks, and the use of trapezoidal cross-section tiles combined with staggered masonry methods, we were able to achieve the brick wall’s curved surface, which lends a sense of coherence and fluidity to both the indoor and outdoor spaces.
To ensure the freshness of flowers on display, the design employs a double wall to create a cavity cooling system. After the air is fed into the cavity, it is channeled through the cavity to the individual flowerpots, where the flowers inside the barrels are cooled precisely through air holes behind the pots. The rear of the flower wall is used as a low temperature refrigerated warehouse for longer-term storage.
