Based in the Netherlands, FRAME is a well-known media devoted to recording and promoting cutting-edge interior design, covering the design of products, home decor, material, and fashion. In 2020, FRAME magazine collaborated with Sunshine PR to establish an editorial branch in China and commissioned ARCHSTUDIO to conduct the interior design of the new office located in the Loft space of Upperhills, in the core area of Futian CBD in Shenzhen. The office is a workplace and also a platform to exhibit cooperative culture. Directly connected to Lianhuashan Park and Bijiashan Park, Upperhills enjoys facilities including an art theater, upscale apartments, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Galeries Lafayette, etc., presenting a unique international cultural and commercial atmosphere. The open and relaxing multifunctional urban space vibes of Upperhills fit well with FRAME’s open and inclusive media attitude.

Taking “FRAME” as the theme to reinterpret space, structure, form, and material, the design presents an innovative and inspiring working environment and communication platform to employees and visitors while communicating Frame magazine’s pursuit of aesthetics and design.

With a floor height of 8.8 meters, the original loft space is transparent from north to south, a favorable condition for design and renovation. Within the given design scope, the design team restructured the internal space layout and adjusted the floor height according to the functional arrangement of working and public activity space for 40 persons, creating a north-south split-level layout.

The first floor is a public area with a large multifunctional space that holds regular media events; the second floor consists of two open office areas; the third floor accommodates several office rooms and a meeting room. The triple-height atrium creates a visual connection between different zones and enhances communication.

The bookshelves and stairs surrounding the atrium become the visual focus of the office. The bookshelves are used to keep the magazines and materials of the editorial team, while the staircase plays a key role as the vertical circulation in the space. The two together form an 8.8-meter-high installation with the theme of “FRAME”. The bookshelves and stairs are woven from reinforcing steel bars with a diameter of 8 millimeters, and this see-through “frame” weakens the physical presence of structures and interfaces.

The wall is a full-height LED screen displaying the virtual video FRAMING produced by UFO Media Lab, which converts the steel bars into free grids that stretch dynamically. Walking up and down the stairs staggered between floors offers an experience of temporarily escaping from daily routines and entering a “FRAME” world full of virtuality.

The Loft space of Upperhills features a sense of extension and transparency, allowing designers to turn their vision and inspiration into reality. Under the changing natural light at different times, it offers a refreshed and self-consistent ambiance all the time, integrating architecture, space, and people and presenting a space of sustainable growth. Industrial materials such as steel, cement, and glass are widely applied in the office to express their simple texture and avoid extra decoration. Fixed furniture such as desks and bookshelves are customized integration of reinforcing steel bar mesh with steel plates. The walls retain the original concrete texture, matching well with the self-leveling cement flooring.

The completion of the FRAME China office has added a new milestone to the prestigious FRAME magazine, and built an international communication platform for the interior design industry, promoting Chinese design to be recognized worldwide.