GID International Design: 2019 Best of Year Winner for Firm’s Own Office

For GID International Design design director Gary Zeng, updating a historic four-story building in Shanghai meant preserving as much of the original structure as possible. His client, the building’s owner, planned to keep the upper two floors for his own use but invited the multidisciplinary firm to move into the lower two levels. The project required that the 7,300-square-foot building be renovated inside and out, so Zeng painted the iron facade white, installed a new black frame, and raised the double-pitched roof by 1 foot. Interior demolition provided space for a new, open stairwell, where black, white, and gold tones reign. A striking crimson box between floors two and three signifies the change from GID’s floor to the client’s. GID office areas now occupy the second floor. Limited by the amount of work space, approximately 3,500 square feet, Zeng combined some functions, like reception and the library, making what he calls “the headache point the luminous point.” Additionally bright is the downstairs, where a striking art collection mixes with luxe metallic surfaces, cove lighting, and lounge seating.

> See more from the December/January 2020 issue of Interior Design