DIGITAL LABORATORY
Project: A Hybrid Creative Campus & Tech Hub
Location: Lane 1088, Yuyuan Road (Yuyuan Public Market), Shanghai
Keywords: Daily Nexus, Hidden Laboratory, Co-working
Design Scope: Identity, Spatial Design & Signage
Completion Date: Oct 2022
Design: In-house at Gwantsi
Situated within a historic neighborhood on Yuyuan Road, Yujian Gwantsi is an adaptive reuse and spatial restructuring project that transforms three interconnected heritage buildings into a multi-disciplinary creative cluster.
The space moves away from isolated functional zoning, instead creating a continuous workflow and visual harmony. By combining the raw architectural surface with high-tech interventions, the design dissolves the boundaries between physical space, graphic media, and virtual technology to establish a closed-loop ecosystem composed of a low-threshold consumer field, a high-tech virtual studio, and a digital content R&D matrix.
Capturing the daily snapshots
across different buildings.
Across the lawn sits the technological core: an immersive virtual production studio and an adjacent four-story workspace. Within this tech nexus, developed in partnership with Sony and Epic Games, the raw texture of the original brickwork forms a stark theatrical conflict with the high-precision Crystal LED matrix display. Replacing traditional green screens, an In-Camera VFX (ICVFX) workflow merges virtual environments with the physical world in real time, allowing the studio to fluidly shift between filmmaking, mixed-reality performances, and runway shows.
Multi-functional Components:
Building A, Gwantsi Café aka GIAFÉ
Building B, Sony × GI Lab & Virtual Production Building C, Exhibition & Work Space
This dialogue between different media converges in the creative offices. Functioning as a fluid space connected to the studio, the ground floor provides immediate spatial support and artistic translation during downtime, while the second-floor windows allow teams to monitor the live studio in real time.
Ascending to the upper floors, everything returns to tranquility, with abundant natural light optimized for visual engineering and related production. The narrative gently concludes on the top-floor open-air terrace—a decompression zone inviting creators to wind down above the vibrant life of the historical lanes.
Full Interactive Walkthrough