Shanghai-based design studio Wutopia Lab has completed work on the Satori Harbor, a new library and cultural facility located within the new VIPshop headquarters in Guangzhou, China. Spread across more than 23,000 square feet, the bi-level literary environment was crafted by Wutopia founder and chief architect Yu Ting as a place for both enlightenment and escape.
Satori Harbor welcomes visitors via a long corridor leading to an installation of a long boat and large red sail influenced by the waterfront location. A total of 13 large-scale bays of bookshelves adorn one wall of the main space, which also accommodates a café, magazine area, and lobby.
Additionally, Satori Harbor houses a range of spaces including a rare book room, conference room, koto room, salon, selection corridor, and a gallery designed to reinterpret the aesthetic of a European art saloon. Along the perimeter, the sleek minimalist environment is enhanced further by views of the harbor and dunes, while a south-facing area is conceptualized as a theater-style space flooded with ample daylight. Floral tiling spans the interior to establish uniformity against a palette of desaturated beige stucco, terrazzo, and orange carpeting.
