Header: Courtesy of DESMOOD
The Royal Mansion Exhibition Center, located in China, is one of the most recent projects recognised by the BLT Built Design Awards, and all due to how DESMOOD, the studio responsible for the design, connected the client’s ideas with their understanding of spatial strategy.
The project is grounded in the client’s emphasis on sustainability, environmental awareness, and a more nature-oriented sales experience. However, rather than bringing these views into the space through decoration, the designers decided to splash them on the canvas through layout, material selection, and spatial balance.
The design
The space is divided into a rectangular plan, measuring 25 metres by 12, which was wisely organised to sort and introduce functions in a sequence that feels both direct and layered. Visitors enter through the main entrance and instantly arrive at the brand display area, which is structured around an 8-metre-long oval bar that is the room’s central feature. The element junctions act as an anchor, dividing the space and guiding circulation while maintaining a feeling of openness across the interior. On either side of the bar are the negotiation areas, which are partially enclosed with glass curtain walls that offer some acoustic and visual separation without making the space feel closed off from the rest of the environment.
The layout was created to encourage movement and curiosity but also intimacy of sorts, as both employees and visitors have the chance to relax and breathe for a while, particularly around the long tables scattered throughout the space. These tables were placed to support casual interaction, meetings, or presentations without needing to shift the overall organisation of the room.
The surfaces and finishes were kept consistent, with the whole space breathing in a palette of black, white, and grey. The textures also fit this aesthetic, as the designers chose metal, fabric, and leather to illuminate the space, these materials are known for reflecting light, contributing to an inviting and calm environment.
