HONG Designworks creates a layered private office for an investor entering a new chapter, with a sculptural staircase at its centre.
For an investor entering a new phase of his career, this private office in Xi’an is designed to do more than host meetings. It is a place to work, receive guests, make decisions and take a breather—an environment that reflects the owner’s way of living as much as his professional life.
HONG Designworks avoids the overt grandeur often associated with private offices. Instead, the studio has created a setting that feels polished yet lived-in, balancing a sense of occasion with the ease needed for everyday use. The result is neither a showpiece nor a conventional workplace, but a personal base that can adapt to the changing pace of the day.
At its centre is a folded steel staircase spanning two levels. Taking advantage of the original ceiling height, the staircase turns an everyday necessity into the office’s defining feature. Its white faceted structure, sharp turns and softer curves bring a sculptural quality to the interior, while creating a strong architectural rhythm across the space.
The entrance replaces a standard reception desk with an elliptical waiting area for both secretarial work and welcoming visitors. Its proportions and curved form draw on the owner’s former office, giving a familiar spatial memory a fresh expression in its new setting.
Curved timber joinery and slim metal frames soften the transition between spaces, while glass partitions allow natural light to travel through the interior. The result is open without feeling exposed, offering a relaxed setting for informal chats, short waits and quiet moments between meetings.
Further inside, the open-plan work area, long meeting table and bar are arranged as one continuous environment. Warm furnishings sit alongside metal and terrazzo, while sheer curtains soften the daylight and the room’s cleaner lines. It is a space that can shift easily between focused work, team discussions and a more informal gathering.
A terrazzo bar links the staircase with the open workspace, and an orange-red artwork adds warmth to the otherwise restrained palette. The Plusminus lighting system can be repositioned along flexible conductive ribbons, allowing the lighting to respond to different activities throughout the day. Against dark-grey flooring, the white staircase and light railings keep the interior feeling crisp but not severe.
Rather than separating work from life, the office allows both to overlap naturally. It is professional enough for meetings, comfortable enough for an unhurried conversation, and personal enough to feel like an extension of its owner’s world.
Photo courtesy of HONG Designworks
