Lumiere Residences
LUMIERE RESIDENCES
Taipei, Taiwan
Following the demolition of non-structural elements, we reconfigured the apartments and facades, and reimagined areas that were previously apartments on the ground floor and roof into adaptable, shared spaces for all residents. Inspired by the social dynamics of Chinese courtyard houses and their adjoining alleys, the Lumiere Residences investigate how historic models for living can inform contemporary contexts and residents’ well-being.
The now extensive communal spaces expand entertaining and gathering beyond apartment interiors. On the ground floor, pivoting oversized wooden panels adapt the space to a variety of environments such as dinner parties, lounging, exercising, and personal study. Uniting the ground floor is a sinuous sculpted ceiling, the construction of which was made affordable by employing CAD/CAM technologies that are compatible with local fabrication practices. This complex form also houses a constellation of pinpoint fiber optics, which reflect gently off the locally sourced oak flooring. Additional movable panels weave the interior into the exterior landscape, creating indoor/outdoor rooms nestled by hedges and bamboo groves. On the roof, seating accommodates both individual retreats and social gathering; intimate, cocoon-like chairs and built-ins resembling oversized opium beds, for example, offer spectacular views into the hills and city.
The façade is stripped of its former cladding and redressed with glass panels marked with graduated ceramic fritting that maximizes light while obscuring views from the street. These glass panels also serve as brise soleil to deflect the glaring afternoon sun, balance the interior and exterior light, and reduce cooling expenses.
Along with designing most of the furnishings, we collaborated with local artisans to produce items such as a filigreed gold foil chandelier inspired by headdresses from Chinese opera, and wall reliefs that recall Chinese landscape paintings and early language pictograms.
