架构师提供的文本描述。MONOARCHI是一家年轻的建筑设计公司，总部设在上海。该办事处位于原上海法租界的核心地带。最初的邻居指的是20世纪40年代英国和西班牙的建筑。经过一百多年的历史，这个社区仍然保持着和平。作为上海历史的重要见证，它被列为一座保护性的历史建筑。现有的社区是一个住宅区，我们，作为一个热衷于在有楼层的空间工作的建筑师，在这个街区内翻修了一座建筑，并于2018年迁居。

Text description provided by the architects. MONOARCHI is a young architecture design company based in Shanghai. The office is located at the core of the Former Shanghai French Concession. The original neighborhood is referred to the buildings Britain and Spain back in the 1940s. After more a hundred years of history, the neighborhood still retains the peace. As an important witness of the history of Shanghai, it is listed as a protective historical building. The existing neighborhood is a residential area, we, as architects who are obsessed with working in spaces with stories, renovated a building inside this neighborhood and moved in in 2018.

Text description provided by the architects. MONOARCHI is a young architecture design company based in Shanghai. The office is located at the core of the Former Shanghai French Concession. The original neighborhood is referred to the buildings Britain and Spain back in the 1940s. After more a hundred years of history, the neighborhood still retains the peace. As an important witness of the history of Shanghai, it is listed as a protective historical building. The existing neighborhood is a residential area, we, as architects who are obsessed with working in spaces with stories, renovated a building inside this neighborhood and moved in in 2018.

MONOARCHI办公室位于一栋三层别墅的一楼。面积约100平方米。整个建筑最初由一个家庭拥有，但由于历史原因，产权被分割，一个30平方米的独立庭院由所有居民共同拥有。为了尊重这座老房子，我们第一次来到这所房子时，决定不对它的结构和布局造成任何破坏或改变，以尽可能保持现有的历史感。

The office of MONOARCHI is located in the first floor of a three story villa. The area is about 100 square meters. The whole building was first owned by a family, but the property rights were split for historical reasons, and a 30 - square meter independent yard was shared by all residents. To respect of the old house, we decided not to make any damage or change to the structure and layout when we first came to the house to retain the existing sense of history as far as possible.

The office of MONOARCHI is located in the first floor of a three story villa. The area is about 100 square meters. The whole building was first owned by a family, but the property rights were split for historical reasons, and a 30 - square meter independent yard was shared by all residents. To respect of the old house, we decided not to make any damage or change to the structure and layout when we first came to the house to retain the existing sense of history as far as possible.

 Axonometric drawing

我们需要创造一个8人的工作空间，以及一个小房子内的展览空间。第一步是删除现有的住宅功能，使空间变得更简单；第二步是混合功能：我们在主要工作空间的中间插入一个展览空间，以满足不时策划小型展览的需要。

We need to create a work space for 8 people as well as an exhibition space inside the small house. The first step is to remove the existing residential functions to make the space simpler; the second step is to hybridize functions: we inserted an exhibition space in the middle of the main work space to satisfy the needs of curating small exhibitions from time to time.

We need to create a work space for 8 people as well as an exhibition space inside the small house. The first step is to remove the existing residential functions to make the space simpler; the second step is to hybridize functions: we inserted an exhibition space in the middle of the main work space to satisfy the needs of curating small exhibitions from time to time.

 The main office area and the exhibition table. Image © Xiaodan Song

主办公区和展台。形象(小丹歌)

 The main office area and the exhibition table. Image © Xiaodan Song

主办公区和展台。形象(小丹歌)

会议室走廊扩大为批评区，会议室与小图书馆结合，卫生间与淋浴间的隔墙打开，将空间转换为模型车间、材料室和印刷室。这三个空间连接到厨房，模型室的吧台和厨房的高度相同，所以两个功能可以移动。

The corridor to the conference room is enlarged as a critique area; the conference room is combined with a tiny library; the partition wall between the toilet and shower is opened, and the space was converted into a model workshop, a material room and a printing room. These three spaces are connected to the kitchen, the bar table of the model room and the kitchen are at the same height so the two functions can be shifted.

The corridor to the conference room is enlarged as a critique area; the conference room is combined with a tiny library; the partition wall between the toilet and shower is opened, and the space was converted into a model workshop, a material room and a printing room. These three spaces are connected to the kitchen, the bar table of the model room and the kitchen are at the same height so the two functions can be shifted.

 Arched door between the meeting room and the model room. Image © Ripei Qiu

在会议室和模型室之间的拱门。形像：邱日培

我们使用拱门形成办公室的内部空间，这是对上海前法租界最独特的拱廊和拱门的致敬。不同尺度的拱门定义了不同的空间，大拱的工作空间，半拱形拱顶的会议室，以及不同功能空间之间的小拱廊，如批判廊和其他两个拱廊。另一方面，拱门也在某种程度上保护了原有的结构，而且拱门的形式巧妙地开发了头顶上的空间，开发了更多的存储空间和多用途空间。

We use arches to form the interior space of the office, which is a tribute to the most distinctive arch corridors and arch doors in the Former French Concession in Shanghai. The arches of different scales define different spaces, the working space with the big arch, the conference room of the semi vaulted arch ceiling, and the small arcades between different functional spaces, such as the critique gallery and other two arcades. On the other hand, the arches also somehow protected the original structure; moreover, the form of the arches ingeniously exploited the space above the head, where more storage space and multi-purpose space are developed.

We use arches to form the interior space of the office, which is a tribute to the most distinctive arch corridors and arch doors in the Former French Concession in Shanghai. The arches of different scales define different spaces, the working space with the big arch, the conference room of the semi vaulted arch ceiling, and the small arcades between different functional spaces, such as the critique gallery and other two arcades. On the other hand, the arches also somehow protected the original structure; moreover, the form of the arches ingeniously exploited the space above the head, where more storage space and multi-purpose space are developed.

 The arched door towards the cloakroom. Image © Xiaodan Song

通向衣帽间的拱门。形象(小丹歌)

在材料的选择上，我们注重材料创造空间和功能的能力。黑色螺纹钢的可塑性画出拱形，钢与磁铁的结合使整个空间成为展览空间，办公入口、批判走廊和其他走廊由混凝土制成，传递着我们喜爱的仪式感；服务空间隐藏在批评画廊后面，而隔声混凝土使办公室更加安静。拉深不锈钢的精度和反射能力较弱，保证了结构的细节，并以一定的形式扩展了拱的形状。

In the selection of materials, we focus on the ability of materials to create space and functions. The plasticity of black screw steel draws the shape of the arch, and the combination of steel and magnets enables the whole space as exhibition space; the entrance of the office, the critique corridor and the other corridors are made of concrete, which deliver a sense of ritual which we love; The service space is hidden behind the critique gallery, and the sound-proofing concrete makes the office more quiet. The precision and weak reflection of the drawing stainless steel ensured the structural details, and also extended the arches in a certain kind of form.

In the selection of materials, we focus on the ability of materials to create space and functions. The plasticity of black screw steel draws the shape of the arch, and the combination of steel and magnets enables the whole space as exhibition space; the entrance of the office, the critique corridor and the other corridors are made of concrete, which deliver a sense of ritual which we love; The service space is hidden behind the critique gallery, and the sound-proofing concrete makes the office more quiet. The precision and weak reflection of the drawing stainless steel ensured the structural details, and also extended the arches in a certain kind of form.

 Axis through the meeting room, the archway and the main office. Image © Ripei Qiu

穿过会议室、拱门和主要办公室。形象（三）雷佩秋

 Detail of the archway. Image © Xiaodan Song

拱门的细节。形象(小丹歌)

上海作为一个城市，保护历史建筑只有150年的历史，那些80年的老建筑对上海来说是极其珍贵的。然而，有太多的旧房被房东拆毁，目的是为了创造更多的租金和经济效益。作为建筑师，我们有能力通过我们自己的设计来拯救这些美丽故事的老房子，并创造更舒适的共享空间。我们选择这座老房子的责任是捍卫它的过去，丰富它的故事。

Protection of historical buildings Shanghai has only 150 years of history as a city, those old buildings of about 80 years are extremely precious to the city. However, too many old houses have been demolished by the landlord for the purpose of creating more rent and economic benefits. As architects, we have the ability to save these old houses of beautiful stories through our own designs and to create more comfortable sharing space. Our responsibility to choose this old house is to defend its past and enrich its story.

Protection of historical buildings Shanghai has only 150 years of history as a city, those old buildings of about 80 years are extremely precious to the city. However, too many old houses have been demolished by the landlord for the purpose of creating more rent and economic benefits. As architects, we have the ability to save these old houses of beautiful stories through our own designs and to create more comfortable sharing space. Our responsibility to choose this old house is to defend its past and enrich its story.

 Axis through the meeting room, the archway and the main office. Image © Ripei Qiu

穿过会议室、拱门和主要办公室。形象（三）雷佩秋

解决空间间的矛盾，使办公空间进入居民区，关键是确保生活和工作在和谐互动中共存。当设计办公室的流通时，我们尽量不打扰楼上的居民。同时，金属网阶地保留了庭院原有的生态系统，成为邻居的公共空间。入口门的磨砂玻璃不仅使外部和内部之间的视线模糊，而且阻挡了来自邻居的干扰。

The solution to the contradictions between spaces To imbed an office space into a residential neighborhood, the key is to make sure the living and the working can co-exist in harmonious interaction. We tried not to disturb the residents upstairs when designing the circulation of the office. At the same time, the metal mesh terrace preserves the original ecological system of the courtyard while becoming a communal space for our neighbors. The frosted glass of the entrance door not only blurred the view between the exterior and the interior, it also blocked the interference from the neighbors. 

The solution to the contradictions between spaces To imbed an office space into a residential neighborhood, the key is to make sure the living and the working can co-exist in harmonious interaction. We tried not to disturb the residents upstairs when designing the circulation of the office. At the same time, the metal mesh terrace preserves the original ecological system of the courtyard while becoming a communal space for our neighbors. The frosted glass of the entrance door not only blurred the view between the exterior and the interior, it also blocked the interference from the neighbors. 

 main office area. Image © Ripei Qiu

主办公区。形像：邱日培

对小空间内材料潜力的探讨-无腿桌、刷不锈钢浮式桌面、拱形钢筋…这些对建筑材料的反复探索是基于对小空间的利用，避免了将建筑材料转化为室内装饰。我们的内涵是创造具有材料物理特性的功能和空间，例如钢筋不仅勾勒出拱形，还创造了存放和展示的空间。最终，这个空间不仅是我们的办公室，也是我们设计理念和原则的实验。

Explorations on the potential of materials in small spaces A leg free desk, floating tabletop of brushed stainless steel, arch-shaped steel bar…these repeated exploration of the building materials is based on the utilization of small spaces, which avoid turning building materials into interior decorations. Our intension is to create functions and spaces with the physical characteristics of materials, for example, the reinforcing steel bar does not only outline the form of arch, it also created spaces for storage and exhibition. Eventually this space is not only our office, but also an experiment on our design philosophy and principles.

Explorations on the potential of materials in small spaces A leg free desk, floating tabletop of brushed stainless steel, arch-shaped steel bar…these repeated exploration of the building materials is based on the utilization of small spaces, which avoid turning building materials into interior decorations. Our intension is to create functions and spaces with the physical characteristics of materials, for example, the reinforcing steel bar does not only outline the form of arch, it also created spaces for storage and exhibition. Eventually this space is not only our office, but also an experiment on our design philosophy and principles.

 gif. Image Courtesy of MONOARCHI

GIF。单曲意象

Architects MONOARCHI

Location No.33, Lane 506, Jianguo (w) Road, Shanghai, China

Lead Architects Xiaochao Song, Keming Wang

Area 90.0 m2

Project Year 2018

Photographs Ripei Qiu, Xiaodan Song, Fan Sun

Category Offices Interiors