'Poetic, romantic and artistic' are the three words that Shan Ding You Feng, a brand under Mu Shi Photography, abides by. Their photography, bringing into being timeless collections of love, emotions and memories, speaks of this ethos, and now so does their workspace. Seeking their creative essence to be reflected in the space the brand and its photographs inhabit, Chinese interior design firm Aurora Design was invited to realise the Shan Ding You Feng photography art space. Located by the shores of Erhai Lake in Dali, a place drenched in natural beauty by the water and the mountains, the recently completed art space encompasses art exhibitions, cultural salons and creative workshops.

Based in China, Aurora Design was founded by Yang Xuewan as a practice that is committed to creating empathetic and aesthetic spaces. Following the philosophy of ‘creating fantasy and beauty,’ the designers have added a variety of projects to their oeuvre—wedding photography spaces, commercial retail stores, restaurant designs, exhibition spaces, residential designs and art installations.

Aurora Design’s most recent project, the photography art space, is perched in the northwestern corner of Yunnan, at a safe distance from the city’s clamour. Cedars and oaks blanket the Cangshan mountains, offering sweeping views of Erhai Lake. The name Shan Ding You Feng is guided by the harmony of the natural landscape, "where the wind blowing between mountains and water traces the passage of time and memories, creating an ever-renewing, endless rhythm." The architecture, originally intended as a hotel, has been thoughtfully reimagined to align with local traditions of honouring nature and meeting functional needs. Featuring expansive, slender windows, the building's design seeks to integrate the mountain and sea through a dynamic play of light and shadow; the structure blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and stands as its reflection.

The building's exterior, primarily white with a dense, compact texture, harmonises with the surrounding natural landscape, almost as if responding to the play of light. Constructed with stone bricks, it stands poised between the mountains and sea, its facade design capturing the movement of nature while evoking a sense of familiarity. The stone's texture, simple yet enduring, reflects the passage of time, allowing the architecture to melt into its environment and silently evolve.

The transition between the interior and exterior spaces is almost effortless as nature can freely flow in and out. Indoors, the Chinese designers aim to evoke a sense of natural intimacy. This pursuit is expressed through the subtle rhythms evident in the interior design, drawing from the rhythms of the surrounding landscape. The interiors are distributed vertically by function, catering to different user needs. A strategic use of grids and various recurring forms throughout the spaces fortifies the visual rhythm by maximising the play of light and shadow. The immersive and open environment fosters a dynamic interaction between the building’s interiors and exteriors.

In the interiors, the elevated story height of the first floor creates a spacious atmosphere that accommodates both guests and exhibitions. Tall door frames on clean walls enhance the transparency and brightness of the space, while minimalist lines and bare plaster walls act as a canvas, capturing the shapeshifting shadows through the day. Large floor-to-ceiling windows draw the outdoor scenery inside, making nature the focal point of the room, while the horizontal structure expands outward, framing panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and greenery. The central staircase design leads to a mezzanine floor, its winding form evoking the towering cliffs of the Cangshan mountains; here, one can enjoy serene views of the landscape.

The second floor, designed for photography and work, is bathed in soft, natural light through skylights. The orderly arrangement of marble blocks evokes the simplicity and rustic charm of the Cangshan mountains, enhancing the relaxed, intimate ambience. The walls, coated in a blend of earth and lime in shades of blue and dirt-white, speak of the romance of the surrounding mountains, water and clouds. Wide-open windows invite the breeze to flow freely through the space, carrying with it the essence of the forest and the lake, infusing the room with a sense of deep connection to nature and a longing for love.

The material palette across the spaces includes brick, earth, cork and stone, all in harmony with their rich context. These materials are sourced from the mountains or the lake, making the architecture an extension of those; the boundary between the artificial and the natural stays blurred.

The Shan Ding You Feng photography art space embodies a harmonious fusion of emotion, beauty and artistry, where the director’s passion for capturing ‘love’ through photography serves as the guiding inspiration. Aurora Design integrates the ancient, simple landscapes of Dali—the mountains and water as the foundation—into the space. Through minimal design, the project portrays the timeless beauty of nature, evoking a sense of poetic reverie.

Project Details

Project Name: Shan Ding You Feng
Location: Dali City, Yunnan Province, China
Area: 800 sq m
Design Firm: Aurora Design
Chief Designer: Yang Xuewan
Lighting Design: Uniimport
Construction: Rebuilding Space Lab
Completion: 2024