Names of Wilson designers: Arlene Bernal-Cortez(Associate Design Director); Martha I. Ortiz(Senior Designer)

Owner: Wealine International Co., Ltd. Shanghai; 

Architect: Tianhua Architectural Design

Photographer credit: Courtesy of Wealine

Project description:

The Clubhouse at One Park in Shanghai is a luxury lifestyle haunt with state-of-the-art amenities. Inspired by the brooding glamour of London’s iconic One Hyde Park, it offers residents everything from a full spa, to a theatre, juice bar & deli, aquarium and clinic.

The client asked Wilson Associates designers to design the villa as though designing their own luxury residence. In essence, he wanted the design team to create a "California Modern" villa that would have the same iconic prowess as London’s One Hyde Park. 

The double-volume entry foyer sets the tone for the entire villa. It’s a minimalist gallery-like space flooded with natural light. Full-length glass windows create the illusion of infinite space, blurring the boundary between the indoor and outdoor environment. In today’s world, space is a luxury, so the design team used the most innovative space planning tactics and materials to offer the guest an unending space.

How does one define the “California Modern” design aesthetic? Open space planning, large windows that optimize views and flood the space with natural light. Clean and modern architectural style that worked with the California setting. Eero Saarinen: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism. 

With an office aptly located in Los Angeles, California, there were a lot of ideas that inspired the design team, from pleasant California weather, diverse groups of people, Pacific Ocean, palm trees, Angelina and Jennifer, etc.

It’s all about the original materials! The client insisted the design team create an environment unlike anything China’s ever seen before, so the design team really pushed their creativity and exposed themselves to completely innovative materials. As one of the project designers mentioned, “each material chosen could stand on its own as a compelling piece of original art.”

Details. Meticulous attention to details, as details are the key to luxury. This was a space designed to show potential owners what their dream villa could look like.