Behind the Design at TCRW SOHO: Jack Qu
Meet Jack Qu: founder of China Design Centre (CDC), a London-based architect and design practice dedicated to sharing original and pioneering techniques by Chinese creatives to the Western audience. Tasked with interior designing a two bedroom apartment at TCRW SOHO encompassing Feng Shui – an ancient Chinese philosophy that aims to create a harmonious environment through the art of placement – Jack Qu’s finished product has already been snapped up by a buyer.
Here we take a deeper look at the design of this unique apartment and catch up with the face behind the design.
Who is Jack Qu?
Jack Qu is the founder of China Design Centre, a platform founded in 2013 and collectively made up of a team of architects and designers with a global network. After graduating from Southeast University in Nanjing, Jack worked for BDP for 15 years before founding CDC. Priding itself on showcasing the best of Chinese design, CDC is now recognised as one of the most influential platforms for promoting this type of design overseas.
About the Design
Speaking of the apartment’s overall concept, he says that “introducing natural light, green plants and adopting raw materials to create more natural feelings interiorly” was key in the design. As well as that, he says, “the first thing that came to mind was how to create a beautiful space and input the Chinese culture into interior design [...] it also needs to be combined with the culture of Soho”.
Design features such as the beaded curtain were carefully chosen in keeping with the rules of Feng Shui design where “direct alignment of doors and windows to the main entrance needs to be avoided”. Jack has also deliberately left some areas within the apartment with little or no decoration, allowing residents to have their own place for imagination with the minimalism allowing the space to be less distracting.
“I think the essence of Chinese culture is Yi Jing [...] the main point is for someone to use their imagination after seeing particular objects. For instance, the fisherman pendant floor lamp and moon lake coffee table create the image of being on a lake where I can float and enjoy a glass of wine with my friends.”
Stand-out features such as the pagoda standing shelf by Sing Chen and the striking calligraphy artwork by the apartment entrance by Chen Xujiang have been carefully selected by Jack to be not only visually appealing but also a talking point within the space.
Want to know more? Watch the video above, check out our flats for sale in Soho and contact our team on 020 3409 2270 for further details.
