Shan Zhijiang Explores Cultural Depth in the Jianye Zunfu Sales Center

Since childhood, I've loved drawing, and that passion naturally led me to pursue design as a career after graduating from university. I've now been working in interior design for over 30 years, primarily focusing on high-end residential, hospitality, and real estate sales center projects.

To me, design is the process of giving tangible form to our aspirations for a better life. I find great joy in the focused, free state of mind that comes with creation—it's this joy that has kept me dedicated to design for three decades.

Winning the MUSE Design Award is a meaningful recognition of both my personal journey and the collective efforts of our team. It’s not just an honor—it’s a milestone that affirms our design philosophy.

It encourages us to keep innovating while honoring cultural heritage, and gives us the confidence to bring our interpretation of Eastern aesthetics to a global audience.

This award has strengthened our clients' trust in our capabilities and boosted team cohesion and creativity. It has opened doors to more high-quality project opportunities and inspired confidence in our future growth.

We’ve also received more collaboration requests from clients across different regions and cultural backgrounds.

Experimentation is an integral part of every project, especially when exploring material combinations and spatial narratives. In the Jianye Zunfu Sales Center, for instance, we experimented with deconstructing traditional garden elements into contemporary forms, using materials, lighting, and structure to evoke Eastern aesthetics.

Though challenging, such exploration often leads to unique design expressions.

In the Jianye Zunfu project, we drew inspiration from a regional cultural phrase—“one road, two mountains, three rivers, four kinds of flowers,” which represents the essence of Luoyang.

We translated this spatial memory of the city into a narrative thread within the interior design. Integrating such poetic cultural imagery into a contemporary space was an unusual and rewarding approach.

Design is not merely about beautifying a space—it’s a deeply strategic process involving research, communication, and problem-solving. A successful design must be both aesthetically pleasing and practical, balancing logic and emotion.

I believe that understanding the client is the starting point for true innovation. Through deep communication, we uncover their unspoken needs and use our expertise to guide the design process. Designers must have the courage to stand by their ideas and the patience to listen.

The biggest challenge was expressing deep-rooted Eastern culture through a contemporary spatial language. We overcame this through extensive research, cultural analysis, and team collaboration, eventually refining the concept of “bridging past and present, interweaving landscapes and waterscapes” into a unified and meaningful spatial experience.

I take a break—travel, visit exhibitions, or immerse myself in nature. Stepping out of familiar routines helps me regain perspective. Nature, culture, and the subtleties of daily life are often the best sources of inspiration.

I always uphold the belief in a quality-driven aesthetic life. I value the relationship between people and space, the warmth of materials, and the depth of culture. Growing up in central China, I feel a natural closeness to Eastern culture, which deeply influences my design language.

Don’t rush to define your style. Instead, observe the world and experience life deeply. Truly compelling design isn’t about showing off skills—it’s about expressing your unique understanding and sincerity.

I greatly admire Shan Zimo for her sensitivity to Eastern materials and her focus on spatial spirituality—values that align with my own design philosophy. Collaborating with her would surely lead to meaningful and inspiring design dialogue.

I wish people would ask what feeling I hope my design brings to users, and my answer is a sense of peace, warmth, and cultural belonging that makes people feel at ease the moment they enter a space, reflecting the meaning of life.