Location: Beijing, China.

Architect: RSAA + Büro Ziyu Zhuang .

RSAA/ Büro Ziyu Zhuang recently renovated their office in the Beijing central axis, transforming it from a traditional Beijing-style courtyard to a timeless workshop. The renovation was organized into 4 steps: refurbishing the old section, inserting a “timeless box” as a functional generator, reforming the interface of the new yard space, organizing the new space sequences under the link of the new interfaces, and building a free-standing T-shaped volume made with glass to combine the original northern room, western room, and eastern room. One small yard on the north-western wing of the T-shape volume was filled with AC outdoor units and artificial green plants as a “camouflaged green light well” behind an opaque glass wall. The kitchen space shares the wall with its neighbour and reuses the original structural components and original tiles. The renovation of the Imperial Palace provides traditional Chinese roofs with activity spaces, making them a symbol of the link between traditional Chinese lifestyle and modern space visions. One bookcase serves as a staircase to the rooftop level, providing views of the two ancient towers and space for office chatting and social gatherings.