Zimo ● Songjing designed by NANJING SUKONG INTERIOR DESIGN CO. LTD. (China)
In Zimo ● Songjing, light is integrated into the household as an essential element rather than just a finishing touch. NANJING SUKONG INTERIOR DESIGN CO. LTD. has transformed a traditional townhouse by introducing a new vertical sequence that allows daylight from a third-floor skylight to flow through the center of the home, connecting rooms that would otherwise feel like separate levels. The transformation begins with the staircase, which has been reconfigured from two flights into three and paired with a transparent lift, making it the central feature of the residence. Daylight, movement, and glimpses of family life all pass through this vertical chamber, providing the house with a sense of internal orientation that is experienced from one floor to the next. The lift is an integral part of this architectural composition, carrying reflections and changing light throughout the day without obstructing the center of the layout.
The result is a home organized around relationships rather than isolated rooms. The basement, ground floor, and mezzanine support the more social aspects of daily life, while the upper levels are designated for bedrooms and private facilities. This gradual transition creates a natural rhythm throughout the house, moving from gathering and entertainment spaces to areas of rest and privacy, all while maintaining the visual continuity that unites the interior.
This continuity is particularly crucial in a multi-level home. While staircases typically function solely as a means of moving between floors, here they also allow family members to stay aware of activities happening elsewhere in the house. Sightlines across landings, openings that frame adjacent rooms, and light that travels vertically all contribute to a sense of connection within the domestic realm. The choice of materials is deliberately controlled. Light-colored surfaces reflect changing daylight, while darker cabinetry adds definition to the larger rooms. Warm red-brown tones introduce depth to the communal spaces. These elements establish continuity without flattening the individual character of each room. Living, dining, and transitional areas remain distinct yet are perceived as parts of a cohesive whole.
On the upper floor, the atmosphere becomes more personal. The third level is designed as a complete suite, where the architecture pays particular attention to the rituals of private life. An opening above the tatami area allows afternoon light to traverse textured walls, making the passage of time a visible component of the room. The master bedroom furthers this concept through its structure. Black beams and columns create a more intimate scale around the bed and incorporate the sloping roof into the design. Their presence stems from the structural renovation, giving the room a stronger architectural identity while allowing sleeping, storage, and tatami areas to coexist within one space. Transparency is handled with equal thoughtfulness. Rippled glass blocks between the master bathroom and wardrobe allow light to permeate while maintaining privacy. In the south-facing bedroom, an acrylic screen separates sleeping and laundry functions by diffusion rather than complete enclosure. These materials keep adjacent activities connected through light, even when direct views are softened.
This approach gives the project relevance within contemporary residential design. Privacy is not merely viewed as a binary state of open or closed; instead, it can be modulated through translucency, distance, material choices, and varying levels of visibility. This same principle applies to the house as a whole: shared life remains perceivable without compromising the tranquil character of the upper floors. NANJING SUKONG INTERIOR DESIGN CO. LTD. employs stairs, skylights, structural elements, and translucent boundaries to strengthen the relationship between everyday routines, light, and family interactions. The house becomes most expressive through the continually changing moments, such as a figure moving behind glass, afternoon sunlight crossing a wall, or an unexpected view opening between floors.
PEGGY'S EDITOR'S NOTE (2026 Sky Design Awards Editorial Jury)
Renovations gain their greatest strength when they return to fundamental architectural principles. Zimo ● Songjing succeeds because the design team prioritizes the vertical experience, stitching floors together with a skylight that pulls daylight into the heart of the residence. This vertical sequence creates a rhythmic flow, transforming how occupants move through and inhabit their surroundings.
The nuanced approach to privacy is particularly compelling. True openness arises from the careful modulation of light. Using glass blocks and translucent screens, the design filters visibility to maintain the sanctity of private life while inviting shared energy to permeate every corner. This is residential design at its most insightful, proving that comfort comes from how we choreograph the interplay between light, movement, and the people we hold dear.
EDITOR'S REVIEW
Zimo ● Songjing stands as a refined study in spatial choreography. The designers address the vertical axis by weaving the staircase, glass lift, and skylight into a unified volume. This central atrium invites light to cascade through the residence, serving as a pulse that guides movement and connects levels through clear sightlines. The programme follows a sensitive distribution, placing social environments on the lower levels while reserving the upper storeys for quietude. This organization allows family members to maintain awareness of one another across the residence. Materiality further enhances the experience as neutral surfaces interact with warm joinery and earth tones to anchor the communal spaces. Within the master suite, exposed structural elements and thoughtful partitions create layers of intimacy, allowing light to define boundaries with grace.
ORIGINAL DESIGNER SUBMISSION — VERBATIM
Project: Zimo ● Songjing
Location: Not provided
Project type: Interior Design — Residential / Townhouse Residence
Designer/company: NANJING SUKONG INTERIOR DESIGN CO. LTD.
Client/collaborators: Private residential client; name not provided
Completion: 1 February 2025
Project Description :
After a preliminary site survey, we found that the building is a traditional townhouse type with a significant drawback—its frontage is narrow while its depth is relatively long. This is the primary issue that needs to be addressed. We redesigned the staircase layout, changing the original two-flight staircase into a three-flight one and adding a glass elevator. In this way, natural light can shine from the skylight on the third floor all the way down to the first floor, effectively solving the lighting problem caused by the building's excessive depth.
The staircase, as a medium connecting spaces, is not merely a tool for vertical circulation—it also becomes a channel for the flow of light and sightlines. The glass elevator is transparent and light, allowing light to pass through unobstructed while reflecting the subtle traces of life unfolding within the space. We firmly believe that true comfort does not stem from elaborate construction, but from respecting and responding to the rhythms of nature. When the wind passes through the atrium and light falls onto the floor, the space begins to breathe.
In terms of functional layout, we designated the first floor, basement, and mezzanine for daily living, entertaining guests, and leisure activities. The second and third floors serve as private personal spaces, housing bedrooms, bathrooms, and storage or walk-in closets. This layered strategy allocates public and private spaces appropriately, separating active and quiet areas. It ensures the open flow of daily life while preserving tranquility and privacy for the resting spaces.
The third floor functions as a complete suite, emphasizing a sense of ritual in daily life right from the entrance. During the structural renovation, the floor above the tatami area was deliberately opened, allowing light to leave traces of time on the walls every afternoon. Large expanses of paint are no longer cold gray or white; instead, they become the textured surface through which the walls seem to breathe. Texture extends along the play of light and shadow, gradually unfolding within the rustic screens, subtly revealing the layers of the space.
The black beams and columns beside the master bed are not for show; through structural renovation, they create a more comfortable scale in what was originally a cramped bedroom. Additionally, by opening the floor above the sleeping area, the building's originally sloped roof can interact with the beams and columns, creating a unique spatial experience. The wall between the master bathroom and the walk-in closet is made of rippled glass bricks, which not only allow more light to pass through but also add a playful touch to daily life.
The south-facing bedroom on the second floor is integrated with the laundry area according to the owner's lifestyle. An acrylic screen diffuses soft light and shadow, blurring the boundary between the laundry and the resting area—maintaining privacy while preserving a subtle connection. The space achieves a balance between function and emotion, with every detail responding to the genuine needs of its occupants.
NANJING SUKONG INTERIOR DESIGN CO. LTD.
SUKONG DESIGN, established in 2016, is a new prominent space design company.
It is named after two Chinese characters of “su” and “kong”, with the first one indicating modesty and enterprising spirit and the second one representing the idea of emptiness, negative space in aesthetics and a kind of world outlook of sunyata. It is exactly our core design philosophy which leads us in creating first-class designs.
SUKONG DESIGN hopes to integrate localized elements into the world. And we are committed to expressing the rhythm of space and investing the space with expectations and surprises by using simple but elegant designs.
Our projects span a wide range of types including interior design of modern commercial space, modern offices, customized residences and conversion of historical buildings, as well as practices of aesthetics in daily life. The various practices bring diverse ideas together, providing endless possibilities of architectural and interior design.
We are a design team full of vitality, passion and collaborative spirit. We hope to gather more partners sharing the same ideal to strive to be one of the most influential cutting-edge design teams in China.