Located in Luohu, Shenzhen, the Guomao Building is the earliest comprehensive super high-rise building built in China, known as the "tallest building in China" and the most representative building in the early days of Shenzhen.
When we talk about Guomao, we usually focus on its symbolic meaning and its function. But in fact, we can also look at it from the perspective of design. The design was able to interview Mr. Hong Decheng, who was one of the interior designers who participated in the construction of the International Trade Building and the first generation of interior space designers in Shenzhen.
During the planning period, Shenzhen did not have the concept of interior space designers, so it could only introduce a group of designers in Hong Kong. Hong Decheng, who originally wanted to be a painter, also joined the design of Guomao for various reasons.
It was his first time involved in design work, and everything about design made him feel curious and surprised: "I remember that every designer had a fashion leather picture clip, and when he opened it, there were 24 markers neatly arranged inside, as well as a set of design tools such as paper and pen, so advanced!" There are also decoration materials, I saw so many materials for the first time, from tiles, plasterboard, to wallpaper, carpets, etc., everything is so fresh, every day there are new surprises. There is also a new steel hanging process..." Mr. Hong said with a flying eyebrow, as if he was experiencing the excitement of that year.
Although the transition from pure art to design is a cross-border, it is fortunate that art and design are related, both based on the shaping of beauty, but designed a lot of structure, scale and other factors. In that era when there was no interior design and no relevant textbooks, Mr. Hong could only explore on his own, accumulate experience in the practice of the construction site, and grow up rapidly. Since then, he has participated in the design of many well-known projects.
Starting from the Guomao project, Hong Kong's space design has truly entered Shenzhen. As one of the first interior designers to develop in Shenzhen, Mr. Hong very much hopes that the design industry can achieve rapid and positive development, and he is also a person who likes to share, and there is a very urgent demand for space design in the mainland. He responded to the call to bring Hong Kong's most influential designers to the mainland and work with them to explore the relatively blank market in the mainland.
Dickson and Hong Kong designer Liu Weiting were in Italy that year
The company gathers old, middle-aged and young people, and joins hands to make big moves
The old seniors sit in the seat, the backbone is the leader, and the young people play creativity
Mr. Hung's desire to share has also made his company known as the "Whampoa Military Academy" in the design world, and groups of elites have come out of it.
He provides the opportunity to personally lead everyone to practice and cultivate independent design power. When the new generation of designers gradually become the main body of the design circle, what Hong Decheng can do is to create a good environment for them and let them show their skills.
Recently, Hong Decheng and Mr. Marco Costanzi, a designer at Fendi in Italy, collaborated on a 25-storey high-end apartment in Wuhan, and he handed over the most classic and demonstrative parts of the apartment to young designers.
First from the left: Mr. Dickson Hong Decheng Second from the right: Mr. Marco Costanzi
Three elements to establish yourself in the design industry
First, interest is a small boat, perseverance and persistence are the oars of progress
Mr. Hung shared with us stories he had heard earlier.
A young designer said to a very senior and famous Italian designer: "Teacher, I want to follow you to Italy to learn design." ”
The Italian teacher was certainly happy, but his reply was: "Then you will row a small boat from China to Italy to find me." ”
At the time, Mr. Hong thought he was politely refusing, and it was only later that he understood the meaning of his words.
Mr. Hong: "The necessary condition for wanting to be a designer is interest. With a small boat of interest, you can set sail, and the obstacles and challenges encountered in the process of sailing need to be driven away by the oar, that is, your persistence and perseverance. ”
Finding a teacher is not the end.
Second, learning should add your own perception and thinking
Mr. Hong suggested that young designers can find a teacher they recognize after graduation, who can help you move from theory to practice, and also know how to teach according to your talents and discover your highlights. But then problems arise.
Mr. Hong: "Many young designers will subconsciously copy their favorite or good works, and they will also follow them according to the teacher's teaching, which is a problem. In addition to drawing on the experience of previous generations, the most important thing is to introduce your own thinking. Otherwise, what is done is only a systematic set of patterns, not a real design. ”
Third, efforts based on talent
Mr. Hong spoke very directly, and he was worried that these words would discourage young people. But this is a phenomenon that he has been practicing for many years and is common in the industry.
We are indoctrinated from an early age with the idea that the stupid bird flies first, and there are many examples that prove that even if there is a congenital defect, as long as you are willing to work hard, you can see the dawn of victory.
However, in this era, there is no shortage of hard-working people. Whether they are talented or not, they are struggling in this internal turmoil, and if they want to escape, they will be eliminated and can only fall into infinite anxiety.
But we can choose the track that we are better at to improve ourselves faster and easier.
Design positioning, experience and order of ideas that do not change over time
Mr. Hung has nearly 40 years of experience in the industry, although his mentality is still like a child, full of curiosity and desire to explore life. But the experience accumulated by long-term repetitive work will not only make people worry about the numbness of their minds, but also gradually form a systematic design approach.
And Mr. Hong does not deny the systematic statement, the design technique he conveys is timeless and enduring.
Mr. Hong: "Everyone has different needs for their own home, so I think design should be people-oriented. On the basis of people, adding designer experience, art, life point of view, creativity, etc., this is what I understand as systematization. “
Home decoration style is the embodiment of the changes of the times, and people in the past liked to decorate their homes very luxuriously, thus reflecting their economic strength. Nowadays, people prefer a home to be a simple and quiet place that is enough to let go of the fatigue of the day and relax. So in the past, people would spend money on surface decoration, but now that we have entered the 5G era, we are more willing to spend money on art, nature, intelligent technology, and choose more advanced, better texture, more functional and environmentally friendly materials.
As a designer, you need to be keenly aware of the changes in people's needs, and then improve people's needs according to experience. It's also often said that designers need to be at the forefront of fashion. The essence of fashion is people, and to be at the forefront, it is necessary to inject new ideas into the experience accumulated in the early stage.
But does experience constrain novel ideas? How is the importance of both assessed?
Mr. Hong said: "The first thing is to have experience, and then there will be ideas. Ideas are constantly summed up after countless failures in practice. But if we talk about the importance of both, I think the idea is still in the first place. Because even if we stand on the shoulders of giants and do not have the courage to take a step forward, the times still cannot progress.
In addition, experiences can be summed up by predecessors, but the idea is your own, unique and precious. ”
Mr. Hung led the designers at the project site
Mr. Hong is now rarely involved in the design, he hopes to give the stage to more capable young people, and he himself paves the road in the rear, which is no easier than design, he is busy with his own work, but he enjoys it.
When it comes to what young designers like to do now, he says "It's awesome!" Have fun! "The admiration. With such a mentality, it is no wonder that Mr. Hong can mingle with young people at the same time, but also make people respect from the heart.
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