Local firm Linehouse transformed the sunken volume of the former pool into a new amphitheatrical ‘hearth’ for office tenants – with sleek design touches
Design firm Linehouse has transformed a swimming pool in a Shanghai high-rise into a communal, multifunctional hub for office workers. Named the Social Space, the project involved the conversion of the pool into a tiered central atrium, that mimics the shape of an elliptical skylight above.
The shared space is designed as an extension of the tower’s traditional offices – home to multiple tenants – to accommodate events, talks, meetings and flexible work. ‘We conceived the overall space as a hearth, conjuring the central gathering space in a home around a fireplace; symbolic of domesticity as well as a creative centre,’ says the studio.
Linehouse transforms Shanghai swimming pool into office space
Design studio Linehouse has converted a Shanghai office block s swimming pool into an additional workspace, using a palette of blue vinyl, peachy leather and light-hued timber.
The swimming pool was part of the fitness facilities made for office workers of the Jing An Kerry Centre, a mixed-use development in Shanghai s Jing An district designed by architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox back in 2013.
The bowl of the swimming pool has been turned into a huge seating area
However as the pool was rarely used, locally-based studio Linehouse was asked to convert the room into something slightly more practical.