Living with Calligraphic Strokes

By Shrabana Das

Photography: Kyleyu Photo Studio; courtesy  Ganna Design

Read Time: 2 mins  

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Ganna Design studio creates an apartment in Taipei, inspired by the artistic strokes of the most elegant perceived character of Chinese Calligraphy, “永”.

Literally following the strokes of the Chinese character “永”, is the layout with the central living and dining area following the curve of the letter towards the end.

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Building on the narrative, the colour and material palette is reminiscent of an artist’s studio, where the common area focusses more on natural illumination reflected on soothing wooden wall panelling and pastel hues on fabric. The colours selected for the fabrics have been adopted from the ink hues of Chinese calligraphy, such as the royal blue, purple, pink and red. Furniture and fixtures are kept sparse and minimal, keeping in mind the simplicity of the art of calligraphy. Complementing the scenario is select indoor vegetation that is kept light and vernacular.

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Apart from partition walls, furniture and light fixtures play a prominent role in creating the concept layout of the apartment. The dining area and central light fixture are designed in contrasting colours to the background. The black in the front wall and chairs signify the black pen of the calligrapher.

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The offshoots of the character “永” create the private spaces of the apartment. The master bedroom furniture follows a grid design inspired from the 3 x 3 magic square paper used in calligraphy. Using the colour red, which denotes joy, the bookcase and the wardrobe are framed in red with frosted glass to resemble translucent paper.    

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Most beguiling is the daughter’s bedroom that is designed in a profusion of pink, evocative of the freshness of spring. The simple yet artistically designed apartment soothes with its snug and contented atmosphere.

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Fact File:

Architect: Ganna Design

Area – 112 sq. m

Location – Taipei, Taiwan