Culture, craft and contemporary design across 600,000 sqft of landmark workplace at K11 ATELIER Ningbo.

K11 ATELIER Ningbo main lobby, its reception desk set beneath a vaulted colonnade of tapered timber fins

K11 ATELIER Ningbo forms the landmark Grade A office tower within Ningbo New World Plaza, also known as Ningbo New World Plaza Tower 5, a major mixed-use development in the heart of the city.

Process

Pre-Concept

Concept Design

Schematic Design

Detail Design

Tender Documentation

Tender Management

Construction Support

Guideline Package

Post-Completion Review

Studio X was appointed by New World / K11 Group to design the interiors of K11 ATELIER Ningbo, developing a cohesive architectural language across approximately 600,000 sqft (55,700 sqm) of public and common areas within Plot 5 of Ningbo New World Plaza. The scope included the dramatic main office lobby, typical office floors, lift lobbies and lift cars, VIP areas, basement and car park lobbies, washrooms and podium retail, together with signage and wayfinding across the wider plot.

The design responds to K11 ATELIER’s approach to the workplace as more than a conventional commercial tower, combining culture, craftsmanship and contemporary workplace experience. This thinking informed the material palette, detailing and spatial character throughout the building, creating a consistent identity across a wide range of spaces while allowing each area to respond to its specific function.

Podium retail concourse with timber-clad tenancies, a curved slatted ceiling and cafe seating

Podium retail provides convenient F&B and amenity spaces for the building’s office community.

Escalator hall linking the podium retail to the office lobby, with wayfinding cut into the stone wall

A sculptural escalator portal creates a distinctive arrival from the basement into the office tower.

Workplace lift lobby with fluted timber walls, marble core and a large landscape artwork

A refined basement lobby creates a clear and considered arrival from the car park.

Materiality and detailing were developed to create a consistent architectural language across the tower, balancing refinement, warmth and K11 ATELIER’s emphasis on craft.

Lift lobby with bronze doors framed by fluted metal panels and a faceted lit ceiling

The lobby colonnade seen from the concourse, with meeting rooms behind a screen of vertical fins

Selected views

A collection of images documenting the completed interiors of K11 ATELIER Ningbo, highlighting materiality, circulation and the consistent design language across Ningbo New World Plaza Tower 5 and its podium.

Upper floor lift lobby in pale timber and stone, with a faceted marquetry ceiling

Reclaimed timber-lined lift lobby with the ATELIER identity applied to the wall and floor mat

Escalator descending between fluted timber walls hung with artwork, towards the K11 bronze panel

The drop-off and car park entrance lobby, finished in stone with the ATELIER identity on a bronze panel

Security gates at the office entrance, set within reclaimed timber-clad walls

(Approach)A unified design approach brings K11 ATELIER’s principles of culture, craft and sustainability into every layer of the workplace, retail and arrival experience.

Progress

A record of the project taking shape on site, documenting the coordination, detailing and construction of the interiors through to completion.

Completed frozen dessert kiosk at K11 ATELIER Ningbo with illuminated signage, timber panelling, and neon menu art.

Visual mock-up of the podium retail concept, developed to serve the tower’s office community.

Completed layered rattan ceiling feature at K11 ATELIER Ningbo food hall with wayfinding signage and shopfronts.

An intricate ceiling installation draws inspiration from Ningbo’s tradition of handcrafted umbrella making, translating local craft into a contemporary architectural feature.

Construction photo of the K11 ATELIER Ningbo escalator portal with feature lighting on and fitout works in progress.

On-site progress of a key escalator connection, showing the architectural detailing taking shape around this major circulation route.

Drawings & details

Selected drawings and technical studies developed to coordinate circulation, material transitions and architectural detailing across the tower.

General arrangement floor plan of K11 ATELIER Ningbo showing interior layout and circulation.

Podium plan showing the integration of retail, amenities and circulation serving the office community.

Design drawing of the K11 ATELIER Ningbo main lobby showing the arching rib structure and reception.

Elevation illustrating the sculptural geometric structure that defines the main lobby.

Design detail drawing of a K11 ATELIER Ningbo ceiling feature showing setout and construction detail.

Detail drawing of an individual component within the umbrella-inspired ceiling installation.

A landmark Grade A workplace shaped by local craft, contemporary design and a consistent architectural identity across every point of the user journey.

Lift lobby detail showing bronze doors, fluted panelling and the concealed lighting cove above

Across approximately 600,000 sqft (55,700 sqm), Studio X’s interior design for K11 ATELIER Ningbo establishes a coherent architectural language across workplace, circulation, podium retail, amenity and public-facing spaces within Ningbo New World Plaza Tower 5. Materials, detailing and wayfinding were developed as an integrated system, creating consistency while responding to the different functional demands of each part of the development.

The completed interiors translate K11 ATELIER’s principles of culture, craft and sustainability into a contemporary workplace environment, combining a strong international identity with references to Ningbo’s local heritage. The result is a distinctive commercial destination designed around both the everyday experience of its office community and the wider character of Ningbo New World Plaza.