Fusion • Danilo Paint Showroom in Guangdong, China by JG Phoenix.

JG Phoenix has imagined and realised a wonderland of shape, scale, and texture within the Fusion • Danilo Paint Showroom in Guangdong, China. The interior unfolds less like a showroom and more like a sculpture, the space seemingly carved like an object rather than constructed as a typical building.

Moments of light and shade bring life to a series of flat and curved surfaces, the resulting shadows displaying different paint finishes in a range of conditions.

Designers refer to the 240-square-meter interior as a physical manifestation of the “subtle relationship between water and soil”, distilling the “natural laws of interdependence and Ying-Yang” within their design. Special effect paint is created through the combination of water and paint, a union that depending on its environment creates a range of aesthetic possibilities. The designers create a gallery-like experience, where visitors are encouraged to explore and encounter these different qualities.

Upon entering the space visitors are hugged by softly curving white walls; an intimate moment signalling the start of experience separate from the noise of the outside world.

A pool of water is carved into the floor in the shape of the Yin and Yang symbol. The water reflects light falling from the skylight that slices open the ceiling above. The eye can’t help but be drawn to the oculus cut neatly out of the dusty, terracotta-coloured wall – a glimpse into the world beyond.

Every space constructs a unique atmosphere, each speaking with a distinctly different voice. Light is king in this interior. The shadows it casts either create bright, almost ethereal spaces, or moments of total darkness.

When thoughts of typical paint sample displays come to mind, we are sure scenes of panels, hung like prized artwork didn’t immediately emerge. However, that is exactly the case in this showroom. Strips of different colours and finishes are suspended in a staggered arrangement on the wall, becoming a decorative focal point rather than a mere practical requirement.

Gone are the days of staring at a wall of tiny coloured swatches to determine paint colour. JG Phoenix manage to bring the spaces, and therefore the paint, to life, encouraging visitors to experience its power of altering the atmosphere. We’re sold.

[Words by Caitlin Miller. Images courtesy of JG Phoenix. Photography by Ouyang Yun.]