Images by Hua Xuetao, Ma Yizhou
A poetic journey where rhythm, material, and human senses intertwine
PUSH DESIGN redefined flooring experience in Nanxun District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China by imagining a poetic journey from perception to resonance through the concept of experimental and narrative-driven retail design. Blending poetic narratives with natural materials, the firm redefines how we interact with interior design through the Muxiang Ninghua Flooring Experience Hall project. Based on perception, the design tactically slows the visitor down in amazement, as a result of tactile and visual elements like lighting, raw wood textures, and natural shadows. The idea of resonance induces emotional connection that’s automatically established when the visitor understands the material’s origin, transitioning from a simple product display to an immersive interior experience.
The Design Philosophy
Why did the Hangzhou-based interior design studio PUSH DESIGN choose a poetic, minimalist, or Zen-like architectural language to showcase flooring? As a result of the elegant and creative nature in which they finished the project, PUSH DESIGN displayed their inventive design thinking ability through a design approach that highlighted the raw, organic beauty of nature to redefine the traditional showroom into an emotional and aesthetic one. Instead of bugging customers with catalogs and endless rows of products, they reimagined the Muxiang Ninghua Experience Hall to foster a mindful purchasing and appreciation for craftsmanship.
The design conceptualized a spatial feeling centered on whispering wood grains, sculptural interplay of light and tactile journey. This ultimately separated the project from the linear logic of conventional showrooms as the firm introduced a complete elliptical circulation that divided the plan into nine spatial “chapters.” Like the movements of a musical composition, the journey unfolds from the dialogue of stone and timber at the entrance, to the flowing corridor of light and time, to the interactive core and finally the tranquil offices and VIP lounge. The rhythm and continuity form a sensorial narrative about wood, time, and humanity.
“We hope visitors can ‘hear the breathing of wood,’ feel its sense of time and warmth, and reconnect the dialogue between nature and human life.” Said Lead Designers: Ma Yizhou and Shen Yingyan, PUSH DESIGN
Here’s Where the Journey Begins
From Rationality to Poetic Calm: The journey started in the elevator hall, where cool stone and warm wood interlace under changing light, a prologue of contrasts. A deep red wooden floor runs through the space like a steady rhythm, while rich red wall fabric meets restrained timber tones, setting a serene yet modern tone that bridges reality and abstraction. A minimalist stainless-steel reception counter becomes the visual focus while entering the “Rhythmic Transition Zone. The unique solid presence of the interior marks a pause in rhythm, and that’s where motion meets stillness, and visitors are gently led from prologue into narrative.
Core Zone, described as “The River of Time”: The Life of Wood and the Memory of Light a narrative of the core exhibition area, flooring samples that are displayed through removable frame structures, a lightweight, flexible, and non-destructive system that allows effortless updates. This modular strategy reflects a sustainable mindset, enabling space and product to evolve together, as the Time Corridor follows a narrative spine of the entire design.
Interactive Core: Reconnecting with the Warmth of Wood
PUSH DESIGN team conceived the space as a grand stage where flooring transcends its functional role to become a tactile, perceptive, and interactive medium. Touch, light, and sound turn technology into a translator conveying the warmth and wisdom of wood, and allowing people to become part of the narrative. In the Forest Element Zone area, lighting systems simulate natural daylight cycles, animating timber surfaces with shifting tones throughout the day. The space seems to breathe, reviving the poetic stillness of wood and blurring the boundary between nature and architecture.
Office Area: From Exhibition to Everyday Calm. The surrounding office and VIP zones continue the use of wood and curved enclosures, creating a warm and stable atmosphere for communication. The general manager’s office adopts dark wood and black marble, conveying authority and composure, while the finance office softens its tone through fabric textures and gentle lighting. An orange velvet sofa adds a lively note, striking a balance between efficiency and comfort. The restroom palette continues the material and tonal language of the elevator hall, completing the spatial rhythm with subtle consistency. Thus, the journey transitions from openness to stillness, from experience to reflection gently reminding visitors that all inspiration drawn from nature and technology ultimately returns to humanity, to connection, and to the warmth of everyday life.
Making Space an Extension of Nature
In Muxiang Ninghua Flooring Experience Hall project, PUSH DESIGN uses “flooring” as a narrative medium, weaving together a progressive spatial logic of temporal transformation, narrative corridor, interactive experience, and lived-in scenes. This presents the project as not just a mere showroom, but a harmony between space and nature, between product and the human spirit.
Master Plan
Elevation 1
Elevation 2
Elevation 3
Elevation 4
Project Info:
Project Name: Muxiang Ninghua Flooring Experience Hall Design Firm: PUSH DESIGN Location: 6F, Building 1, Guanghong Xintiandi, Dongqian Street, Nanxun District, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China Floor Area: 900㎡ Ceiling Height: 2.85 m Project Type: Interior Design Lead Designers: Ma Yizhou, Shen Yingyan Design Period: Jan 2024 – Sep 2025 Main Materials: Microcement, Decorative Paint, Ceramic Tiles, Wood Flooring, Stainless Steel Client: Zhejiang Hanluosen Home Co., Ltd. Project Photographer: Hua Xuetao, Ma Yizhou