FRAME China Office by ARCHSTUDIO: A Spatial Manifesto of Media, Design, and Industrial Elegance in Shenzhen

Located in the heart of Shenzhen’s bustling Futian CBD, the FRAME China Office—designed by Beijing-based firm ARCHSTUDIO—is an architectural embodiment of editorial vision, cultural openness, and contemporary spatial innovation. The project serves as the Chinese editorial branch of FRAME Magazine, a globally renowned design publication headquartered in the Netherlands. This 327-square-meter workspace is not just a place of work but a platform for communication, creativity, and cross-cultural design exchange.

Situated within the Upperhills Loft complex—an urban hub that merges nature, commerce, and art—the office is directly linked to Lianhuashan and Bijiashan parks and surrounded by world-class facilities such as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Galeries Lafayette, and an art theater, fostering a cosmopolitan and design-forward atmosphere. The site’s open, multifunctional, and culturally immersive urban context seamlessly aligns with FRAME’s editorial ethos of inclusivity and innovation.

Concept: Reframing Space Through Structure, Form, and Material

ARCHSTUDIO’s design approach revolves around the conceptual theme of “FRAME”—translating the publication’s name into an architectural language that expresses transparency, connection, and transformation. The spatial layout reinterprets frame as both a physical structure and a philosophical idea, crafting a work environment that not only supports editorial productivity but also inspires dialogue, aesthetic appreciation, and design experimentation.

The interior is strategically organized across a north-south split-level configuration, maximizing the site’s generous 8.8-meter vertical clearance and daylight penetration. This approach enables a fluid, vertical circulation system while maintaining clear zoning for public engagement, collaborative work, and private discussion.

Spatial Layout: A Dynamic Three-Level Office Ecosystem

The ground floor serves as a multifunctional public venue, hosting regular media and cultural events that support FRAME’s outreach and community-building initiatives. The second level features open-plan office spaces that promote flexible working arrangements and spontaneous interaction. The third floor includes private office rooms and a large meeting room, supporting focused work and formal collaboration.

Anchoring the triple-height atrium is a sculptural staircase and bookshelf installation—a standout feature that embodies the architectural theme. Crafted from 8mm reinforcing steel bars, this striking vertical core blurs the line between object and infrastructure. The see-through grid not only serves as a visual anchor but also subtly dissolves the boundaries between floors, encouraging connectivity and spatial fluidity.

Materiality: Industrial Honesty and Visual Lightness

The office celebrates the raw materiality of industrial architecture, using steel, exposed concrete, glass, and self-leveling cement flooring to evoke an honest and tactile environment. Customized desks, bookshelves, and fixtures are all fabricated using steel mesh and plate, reinforcing the conceptual motif of the “frame” throughout the office.

Walls retain their unfinished concrete surfaces, enhancing the architectural integrity of the original loft space. Natural light constantly transforms the ambiance, while industrial textures serve as a neutral yet expressive canvas for creativity and collaboration.

Media Integration: From Physical Space to Digital Narrative

A full-height LED wall anchors one side of the atrium, continuously projecting “FRAMING,” a digital video art piece created by UFO Media Lab. The content reinterprets the steel bar motif into a virtual matrix that morphs and expands, immersing users in a futuristic environment where digital media and architectural space converge.

As employees move through the staggered staircases and layered levels, they experience a multi-sensory journey—an editorial office turned experiential installation, where the virtual and physical merge into a curated spatial narrative.

Impact: A Global Platform for Chinese Design

The FRAME China Office is more than a functional workspace—it is a symbolic and strategic hub that connects Chinese interior design to the global creative discourse. With its immersive spatial experience, rigorous material expression, and editorial alignment, the project contributes meaningfully to the evolution of contemporary workspace architecture and positions Shenzhen as a global design capital.

All Photographs are works of  Upperhills