A modern, two-storey penthouse remodel by Kokaistudios.

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Perched on the 48th floor, this renovated penthouse in Shenzhen is built around a central lobby area containing a tree.

African wood with a distinctive grain was specified apartment, ceiling, dining room, interior design, penthouse apartment, real estate, gray — African wood with a distinctive grain was specified for the cabinetry in this penthouse kitchen. Unlike most other Southeast Asian homes, this is the sole kitchen. The room can be closed off from the adjacent dining area by large metal and glass doors, which feature a traditional Chinese pattern. A modern rectangular chandelier hangs above the dining room table.

To provide a link with nature, a tree architecture, courtyard, estate, facade, floor, flooring, house, interior design, living room, lobby, property, real estate, gray

This two-storey penthouse in a near-new building in apartment, architecture, building, condominium, daylighting, estate, facade, home, house, lighting, property, real estate, reflection, swimming pool, villa, window, teal, black

Interior view of the entrance to the apartments. apartment, architecture, building, condominium, daylighting, facade, glass, home, house, interior design, property, real estate, window, white, gray

A timber-decked poolside seating area in a penthouse apartment, condominium, interior design, penthouse apartment, property, real estate, blue

The illuminated display shelving in the living room ceiling, interior design, living room, property, real estate, room, white

Entry hall and staircase in a two-storey penthouse architecture, daylighting, floor, flooring, handrail, interior design, product design, stairs, gray

Plans for the apartment. - Plans for the architecture, area, elevation, floor plan, home, plan, product design, property, real estate, residential area, white

The shelving units featured in this family room floor, flooring, glass, handrail, hardwood, home, interior design, laminate flooring, wall, window, wood, wood flooring, white

Exterior view of the decking and Shanghai skyline. apartment, architecture, balcony, building, city, condominium, metropolis, metropolitan area, property, real estate, sky, skyscraper, black, white

Natural stone features throughout this penthouse. Granite lines architecture, daylighting, estate, house, interior design, real estate, window, brown

At the opposite end of the bathroom suite architecture, bathroom, estate, floor, home, interior design, property, real estate, room, window, white

A penthouse on the 48th and 49th floor could be expected to be far removed from nature. But that is not the case for this penthouse in Shenzhen, China, which has a tree growing right in the middle of the pavilion-style lobby area.

Architects Filippo Gabbiani and Andreas Destefanis of Kokaistudios were contracted to redesign the penthouse to create a dramatic show piece.

The architect says the main challenge was to create a visual link between the two floors of the penthouse. Each floor was essentially two apartments joined together by a corridor and there was no connection vertically.

To open up the space, the design team made large-scale architectural modifications. These included enclosing a small portion of the outdoor terrace to create a central glass pavilion that forms a soaring, double-height atrium.

View of the living area. door, furniture, interior design, product design, window, white — View of the living area.

"The space is almost like a wintergarden a look we have taken further with the planting of a tree in the centre of the space," Gabbiani says. "We wanted to create a close link with nature, which is somewhat unexpected in a penthouse. But it is highly appropriate, as the building is right on the border between the Shenzen city center and Hong Kong countryside."

The pavilion now forms part of the main circulation area on the lower level, and is overlooked by a bridge linking the two sides of the penthouse on the upper level. The original corridor walls were knocked down to create the bridge, opening it up to the view.

"Throughout the interior, we have played with the way the spaces interact," says the architect. "There are areas where the space is compressed and places where it opens right out. Sometimes it is a very subtle detailing that creates the required psychological effect."

Gabbiani says the design was also about experiencing the interior as a journey, one that involves the sense of touch as much as sight. Materials were chosen for textural appeal and contrast. Walls throughout the interior feature marmorino plaster, which creates a surface that can breathe. It also highly reflective, enhancing the natural light that now floods the interior.

The master suite in this penthouse has a bedroom, ceiling, interior design, living room, property, real estate, room, suite, wall, window, gray — The master suite in this penthouse has a tranquil outlook, toward the rolling hills and distant river. A double-ended chaise frames the view.

Another wall is clad in Siberian oak from a sustainable forest resource. This is finished with a natural tung oil.

"We specified sustainable materials as far as possible. "And craftspeople used hand-hammering techniques for the Spanish stone tiles. We also specified energy-efficient lighting, sensor lights and water-saving fixtures," says the architect.

Key decorative features include a Western-style kitchen finished in African wood, and a satin bronze shelving unit with backlit display niches.