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YIWU, spatial design project in Chengdu

YIWU

燚舞

Design Period: 2025
Design Area: 530㎡
Location: Chengdu
Space Design: XIAOOU Office
Address: Eastern Suburb Memory, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

The Yìwǔ Tavern in this case is located in Eastern Suburb Memory, Chengdu. We drew inspiration from the Four Mythical Beasts of China — the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise — transforming these traditional motifs into ultra-simplified super symbols, which serve as visual patterns running through every decorative surface of the space. The color matrix extends outward layer by layer from the central field, and by diminishing elaborate ornamentation, we intensify the space's intuitive perception and visual tension.

Rhythms of the Mythical Beasts

In designing the Yìwǔ Tavern, we took abstracted symbols as the visual core, transforming the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise into ultra-simplified super symbols — geometric beast heads. These condensed yet powerful graphic languages run throughout, forming a highly recognizable spatial identity.

In terms of spatial layout, the first and second floors take the central stage as the pivot between heaven and earth, with the Four Mythical Beasts positioned respectively in the east, west, south, and north. By leveraging the building's voided structure, we achieve a three-dimensional dialogue between the upper and lower levels. Whether guests are on the first or second floor, they are enveloped by the totems of the Four Spirits, creating an immersive mythological experience of 'people within the formation, spirit beasts encircling' — as if placed in an ancient secret realm, where mystery and ritual atmosphere arise naturally.