Dowell Real Estate by Kris Lin International Design: 2018 Best of Year Winner for Sales Center Project

Water, light, and architecture work in harmony in this sales center by Kris Lin International Design for Dowell Real Estate, a real estate developer in Wuhan, China. At first glance, the entrance could be mistaken for one to a contemporary religious or cultural institution. The grand arrival sequence starts with a large reflecting pool, upon which the 1,700-square-foot building behind appears to float. A 165-foot-long path cuts a swath through the body of water, terminating in a portal of faceted, cream-colored blocks. Its planes soar some five-stories high and fold like origami over the walkway, resulting in a monolithic statement in stone. “The progression is full of a sense of ritual,” Kris Lin states.

The water and transparency leitmotif continues inside, thanks to an elevation in clear glass panels. LED strips illuminate vertical coves that swoop down in a curving arc like a waterfall mid cascade. As for the showrooms, where models of Dowell’s upcoming residential projects are displayed to prospective buyers, they are a symphony of marble and diffused light, as serene in countenance as the exterior.

Project Team: Yang Jiayu.

> See more Best of Year Project Winners from the December 2018 issue of Interior Design