How this traditional courtyard house in Beijing transformed into a luxurious private clubhouse
A tearoom, sunken courtyards, silk wallpaper and an eight-metre-long timber carving made by 40 artisans are some highlights in this traditional courtyard house.
According to information from the China Research Center, Beijing’s inner city area of 62 sq m was a completely traditional courtyard city in 1949. In 2004, only 539 courtyard houses in relatively good condition were left in conservation areas – a result of China’s hurried quest for modernisation since the 1990s.
Fortunately, the authorities now preserve these structures and have set strict conservation guidelines that have to be adhered to. The greatly reduced numbers makes them highly sought-after properties so it was a rare opportunity that Singaporean architect Gwen Tan of Studio iF was tasked to restore and renovate one for a second-generation Chinese businessman.
“He was originally from southern China but moved to Beijing for work. This conserved siheyuan is not his main home. Rather, it’s his personal clubhouse that is a small getaway space for him and for hosting special guests,” shared Tan, who is also a co-founder of Formwerkz Architects.
Before they started working on the interiors, Tan and her design team had a lot of repair work and cleaning up to do. “When the client first bought the property, the existing structures were undergoing retrofitting and the style was not to our liking,” she said. Tan’s intention was not to replicate the old in a blind manner but highlight the beauty of the original architecture.
All the buildings were conserved and in-filled with new Oak timber screen doors featuring traditional designs. “We studied what these buildings were before and decided to strip out the bright colours that had been painted on the timbers, revealing their natural grains. We restored the full glory of the original roof structure and exposed their undersides so the form can also be appreciated from the interiors,” she shared.
In order to make that happen, Tan placed most of the mechanical and electrical equipment in the ceiling of a new basement. Hot water recirculating in the floor during winter keeps feet warm. Summertime is equally comfortable. “As the buildings are shallow in depth, opening the doors during hot days allows for a lot of cross ventilation and plenty of air flow from the outdoors,” said Tan.
Facades were upgraded with high-performance glazing, sandwiched between timber screens, to protect against cold winters. Indoors, local stone and timber were sourced for the flooring.
When planning the programmatic layout, Tan surrounded the central courtyard with communal areas “to provide more spaces for the homeowners and their kin to come together, rain or shine.” Fronting the street next to the entrance is a gallery block. Flanking the courtyards are a tea pavilion and dining pavilion.
The rear service block was converted to be part of the master suite, and services are diverted to the basement that was half-completed by the previous owner. Sky-lit courtyards bring daylight and greenery into these underground spaces.
“The owner is obsessed with moss gardens so these courtyards are temperature controlled to provide greenery even during Beijing’s harsh winters – a bit like a greenhouse. To be honest, it’s quite refreshing to experience this greenery when the external roadsides’ trees are mostly bare,” Tan elaborated. Evergreen pine trees on the first storey also mean the other parts of the house become “an oasis for all seasons.”
Near the plot’s entrance, a new spiral staircase lets service staff travel quickly between the two levels. “This staircase is paired with a small Zen garden that is bathed in daylight; a new skylight also serves as a smoke extraction point in the event of fire in the basement,” said Tan.
In the master suite on the first storey, there is also a library lounge and a spa bath. Tucked into the basement are other personal spaces such as a wellness suite where the client can have his haircut and massages, as well as a private movie room.
These functions reflect the client’s interests and personality. “He is a very private individual who cherishes his personal time for reading, tea drinking and contemplative moments in between his busy schedule. He wanted a space that would allow him to feel as if he had teleported to a different world the moment he steps in. It’s a way for him to unwind – a ‘pause’ in his daily life,” described Tan.
The entrance was situated at the plot’s southeastern direction for good feng shui. The gallery block here serves as a holding area for visitors. Musicians can also perform during a gathering. “The music is amplified throughout the courtyard,” Tan highlighted. Meals with guests are held in the dining block, where a dumbwaiter in the service pantry brings up food from a professional kitchen in the basement.
In the tea pavilion where there is a lounge setting for the enjoyment of tea drinking, Tan customised a dramatic eight-metre-long backdrop featuring an elaborate timber carving inspired by the handscroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival by famous Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan. “Tea can be savoured in the lounge area or within the tea booth seating where another specially commissioned Chinese watercolour painting artwork is juxtaposed with a display of teacups sourced from all over the world,” she pointed out.
The timber carving took three painstaking months and 40 local craftsmen to make. “The entire artwork was done in four segments and re-assembled on site. Our team went to the craftsmen’s workshop to personally inspect the progress to ensure the quality was as per the approved mock-up,” shared Tan.
In fact, the entire home displays fine craftsmanship – from the original structure to added elements. “Scattered throughout the home is an extensive range of techniques displayed in many art forms including pottery, embroidered silk, sculpted timber and paintings utilising Chinese ink, acrylic paints and lacquer techniques. All the art was commissioned and directed by us to harmonise with the estate.” The best local craftsmen were also engaged to make many of the furniture pieces.
Another work of art is the spiral staircase leading to the basement – a modern sculpture juxtaposed against the historic shell. “It is a construction marvel in itself as it was built without disrupting the existing structures above,” said Tan. Above the staircase floats interesting custom lamps made by inserting lighting into timber models of Chinese traditional buildings.
The location of the master wing at the rear follows the symbolism of traditional courtyard houses, where the buildings in the north of the plot were reserved for the most senior – and most important – member of a household. “Its importance is denoted by the height of the roofs being the highest as well as the base of the building being the thickest,” said Tan.
The private spaces in the master suite are linked to the library-cum-study lounge via two glass-encased walkways – an architectural gesture that results in more secondary courtyards created within the master suite. “At the side of the library is an independent guest suite with a garden courtyard entry for guests or the client’s young child should she want to take a nap or sleep over with the nanny,” Tan shared.
The secondary courtyards add to the house’s many seamless connections between interior and exterior spaces, where the thoughtfully conceived landscaping can be appreciated. The palette choice enhances this sense of nature.
“As harmonious as the architecture is with the landscape in the various courtyards, the colour scheme across all spaces maintains resonance with the landscape’s colours. Pale jade-green is used predominantly in most of the public spaces and drives the main styling direction in the corresponding areas,” Tan mentioned.
Private areas like the bedrooms are dressed in warmer hues. In the massage room, peach tones match the embroidered blossoms on the silk wallpaper while in the master bedroom, the same shade of peach matches the butterflies on the room’s folding screens.
The client says the tea pavilion is the most used space. “The owner also enjoys the serenity of the home, whose design impresses his guests,” shared Tan. She was even entrusted with the selection of daily-use items. Chopsticks from Paris, crockery from London, teacups from a Dutch brand are small touches that add to the home’s cohesive experience.