Discover how Li Xiang’s Meland Club Indoor Playground, winner of the 2024 Platinum A’ Design Award, blends nature themes with futuristic aesthetics to create an immersive and educational experience.
In the ever-evolving world of interior design, few projects manage to combine artistic innovation, educational impact, and immersive experiences as seamlessly as the Meland Club Indoor Playground. Created by renowned architect Li Xiang, this extraordinary space has recently garnered international acclaim by winning the 2024 Platinum A’ Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category.
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A Nature-Inspired Fantasy World
Meland Club Indoor Playground is not just an entertainment venue; it’s a journey into a meticulously crafted universe where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur. Li Xiang, the visionary behind the project and founder of X+Living Architectural Design, has masterfully combined five primary themes—Bugs, Oceans, Land, Sky, and Forest—into a stunning nature museum. Each thematic area is enriched with futuristic mechanical aesthetics, creating a surreal environment that is both captivating and thought-provoking.
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Architectural Brilliance and Mechanical Aesthetics
At the core of Li Xiang’s design philosophy is the integration of architectural logic with mechanical aesthetics. The Meland Club exemplifies this by breaking down the rigid structures of mechanical movement and reshaping them into dynamic rhythmic beauty through condensed static forms. The result is a space that redefines spatial perception, offering visitors an immersive experience that feels like stepping into a dream.
The design features a massive three-dimensional facade that captures attention with its exaggerated visual dynamics. Inside, the compressed spatial scenes emphasize an elegant composition that resembles a piece of art. Symmetry and geometric segmentation are meticulously executed, with soft colors balancing the sharpness of the metallic structures to create a romantic sense of technology.
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A Tribute to Endangered Wildlife
Beneath the whimsical exterior of the playground lies a deeper narrative inspired by Li Xiang’s dedication to wildlife conservation. The project is a fantastical tale revolving around the preservation of endangered species, brought to life through animated mechanical creatures with a heart full of love and care. The design team meticulously researched and incorporated images of 60 extinct animals into the spatial scenes, adding layers of meaning and educational value to the playful environment.
This commitment to environmental awareness extends to every detail, from the conceptual space design to the smallest decorative elements. The playground aims to nurture children’s love for nature and foster an understanding of the relationship between humans and the environment, ultimately conveying the energy of love for all living things.
Immersive Sensory Experience
To enhance the immersive experience, each themed area is accompanied by specially curated aromatherapy and music selected by Li Xiang. These sensory elements are carefully designed to transport visitors into a comprehensive perception experience that goes beyond mere entertainment, encouraging a deeper connection with the space and its underlying themes.
A Dreamlike Space with Real-World Impact
The Meland Club is more than just a playground; it’s a space where design, education, and imagination converge. By blending surreal dreamscapes with practical functionalities, Li Xiang has created a venue that is both a visual feast and a meaningful educational tool. The integration of wooden tones with vibrant colors further enriches the space, evoking a sense of wonder and challenging traditional aesthetic boundaries.
Li Xiang Founder
In 2011, Li Xiang founded X+Living Architectural Design in Shanghai, and has ever since been building her own design team working at the cutting edge of art, fashion and business. She has gained cross-field achievements by exploring interior design as an architect, creating many design works with commercial and aesthetic values in the culture, retail, hotel and other industries. Her high-profile design has become the benchmark in aesthetic design and strategic design, and won international recognition with a series of top international awards. She was awarded four times Andrew Martin’ s International Interior Design Award, 5 Platinum award and 14 Golden award in A’ Design Awards. Li Xiang is the first Chinese designer that was invited as a jury member of the Frame Awards. In 2020, she was selected as the only Chinese designer in FAST COMPANY: ‘Global: Most Creative People in Business’ that year. Owing to Li’ s guidance and management, X+Living with its unique surreal fantasy space aesthetics has become one of the leading design forces with great international influence and was chosen as the jury winner of Best Commercial Firm in 2022 Architizer A+ Awards.