VILLA 49 designed by Kris Lin international Design
VILLA 49 is a four-story residence that seamlessly unites two distinct functions: private retreat and social clubhouse, under a single guiding concept: embracing nature. Through an integrated approach encompassing architecture, landscape, interiors, and furnishings, the villa is defined by two signature features: the Water Cube swimming pool and the Glass Box restaurant. These elements are expressed through a design language of grand proportions and refined minimalism, dissolving the boundaries between indoor living and the natural world.
Pillar-free glass curtain walls wrap the corners of the dining area, while triple-link folding doors open the bedrooms to the outdoors. Movable partitions and frameless glass staircases further enhance the sense of transparency and lightness. Instead of being confined by walls, the villa is conceived as a continuous spatial experience, allowing the natural landscape to flow seamlessly throughout. This openness and transparency enable the architecture to fully embrace its natural surroundings.
This spirit of integration is fully realized in the villa’s two defining features. To address the basement’s limited natural light and low ceiling height, the design implements a comprehensive light-guiding strategy centered on the Water Cube swimming pool. Windowless interior partitions were eliminated, light wells were excavated, and a borderless, transparent pool crafted from high-clarity acrylic was set into the ground-floor garden. This pool channels daylight directly into the space below, while a high-reflectance ceiling visually amplifies the sense of height. The result is a dynamic interplay of light and shadow through water, imparting a dreamlike quality to the formerly constrained social space and merging it with the surrounding landscape. Oversized, minimalist glass doors and windows are extensively employed. The dining area is envisioned as a transparent glass box, enclosed on three sides by high-clarity glazing that draws garden greenery and riverside views into the interior. Light, views, and airflow move freely throughout, creating an immersive experience of nature, even within the villa’s confines.
Underlying all of this is a pursuit of both scale and restraint. Large-format natural materials establish a grand, elevated visual tone throughout the villa. Yet every detail is meticulously calibrated: ultra-wide glass panels, oversized drapery, ultra-thin drawer profiles, and slender glass framing. Each carefully considered refinement serves both nature and daily life, embodying the philosophy that minimal elements can deliver the most profound experiences.
About the Designer and Design Company
Kris Lin, a graduate of the Department of Architecture at Feng Chia University in Taiwan, also earned a Master's degree in Construction Management from CNAM in France. In 2001, he founded Shanghai KLID International Design , becoming one of the few design institutions in China capable of integrating "architecture," "interior," "landscape," and "soft decoration design and engineering" into a unified service.
With 25 years of deep cultivation in the design field, he adheres to the design philosophy of "The achiever innovates, observing with principle" and has always insisted on personally leading the creative planning and design of high-end real estate projects. He has achieved numerous accolades in international professional design competitions, and as of December 2023, ShanghaiKLID International Design has accumulated a total of 1680 global awards.
Website: https://klid.at.bujue.art/