curved curtain and modular furniture reshape shanghai interior workshop and pop-up

Atelier Siyu revives Shanghai lane house with modular furniture

Atelier Siyu’s Society of Home Workshop & Pop-up uses the strategy of ‘bringing the tree into the space’ to establish a visual and spatial connection between the interior and its immediate surroundings. Located within a Shanghai lane house, the project responds to the existing architecture, including its timber roof structure, aged steel-framed windows, and courtyard. A curved curtain organizes the narrow interior, while a modular furniture system is reconfigured to accommodate office, exhibition, storage, and retail functions.

entrance ©siyu

Curved Curtain and Modular Furniture Organize the Workshop

The workshop, designed by Atelier Siyu, occupies a narrow volume measuring approximately 6.3 by 14 meters. North-facing windows overlook an adjacent residential building, while an east-facing sliding opening frames a tree outside, extending the visual field of the interior toward the courtyard and surrounding landscape. This relationship between interior and exterior informs the spatial organization, with the tree becoming a central reference point within the design.

A curved curtain acts as the primary spatial interface, introducing a continuous boundary within the compact footprint. It organizes the program into entry, reception and meeting, workspace, and storage areas while softening the linearity of the existing plan. The spatial sequence is defined by alternating conditions of enclosure and openness. Near the east-facing window, a circular table creates a pause point aligned with the changing area, connecting everyday use with views of the exterior.

The interior furniture system combines off-the-shelf metal shelving with layered board surfaces. Standardized components are rearranged to function simultaneously as workstations, storage, display units, and spatial partitions. Rather than adding new elements, the system relies on reconfiguration and reassembly, incorporating flexibility and budget control into the design approach. The curtain, detailed with stitched outlines derived from the geometry of the existing windows and finished in two signature brand colors, becomes a prominent visual element that operates both as a spatial boundary and as an expression of the brand identity.

reception – meeting ©siyu

Existing Furniture Becomes Architecture in the Pop-up space

The three-day pop-up by Atelier Siyu was installed within a typical Shanghai Lilong dwelling, where timber roof trusses, aged steel-framed windows, and an enclosed courtyard define the existing architectural setting. The design works with these elements rather than introducing a separate formal structure, allowing light, material, and existing architectural details to remain visible throughout the space.

The intervention begins with Society of Home’s existing furniture system. Through a process of reordering and reinterpretation, the display components are removed from their original configuration and reassembled as multifunctional spatial elements that operate as furniture, structure, and exhibition surfaces. The resulting arrangement is integrated into the existing architectural frame, establishing a relationship between the temporary installation and the character of the dwelling.

The project blurs the distinction between use and exhibition, allowing the furniture to operate as part of the architecture rather than simply as a display system. Although conceived as a short-term pop-up, the strategy developed for the installation continues beyond its original three-day duration. The reconfiguration of the existing furniture system ultimately informs a transition toward a long-term retail environment, extending the temporary intervention into an ongoing spatial and functional framework.

reception – meeting close ©siyu

work area ©siyu

work area and changing area ©siyu

work area ©siyu

pop-up ©Johnny

pop-up ©Johnny

pop-up ©Johnny

pop-up ©Johnny

pop-up ©Johnny

pop-up ©Johnny

project info:

name: Society of home Workshop & Pop-up

interior designer: Atelier Siyu

Society of home Workshop:

interior designer: Atelier Siyu

contractor: Pin An Shanghai

client: Society of home

location: Changning District, Shanghai, China

area: 63 sqm

photographer: Atelier Siyu

Society of home Pop-up:

interior designer: Atelier Siyu

location: Xuhui District, Shanghai, China

photographer: Johnny

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