Wuxing Miaoyou — Baicai Design

Project

Retail
Cultural
Restaurants and Bar
Cafe and Bakery
Other

Wuxing Miaoyou

This project in Yangzhou is a thangka art space created for "Wuxing Miaoyou." It offers tea lounge, and a space for quiet reflection and cultural exchange. More than an exhibition, it invites visitors to pause, connect, and experience a sense of calm.

Credits

Project information:

Status: built, 2025
Area: 185 sqm
Client: Wuxing Miaoyou
Location: YangZhou
Photography: Topia Vision

We wanted the space to evoke a sense of spirituality and depth. Rather than relying on elaborate decoration, the design takes a minimal approach to highlight the cultural richness of the thangka.

Given the irregular layout, we introduced axial lines and visual endpoints to create spatial order. Within a limited footprint, the plan organizes a clear rhythm and flow—guiding the eye from one scene to another, transitioning from light to dimness, from lounge area to exhibition core.

The core thangka gallery is set at the deepest end of the space. As light gradually dims and the pace slows, red walls and dark wood flooring create an immersive setting—inviting focus, reverence, and quiet contemplation.

Centered on the idea of "carrying art," we designed a refined and restrained display system. Wooden structures, fabric coverings, and hidden lighting offer stable presentation for the thangka pieces while forming a cohesive spatial language that complements and deepens the narrative of the experience.

We chose materials that echo the handcrafted, spiritual quality of thangka art. Natural elements like wood veneer, fabric, and travertine are used across floors, displays, and furniture surfaces—serving not as decoration, but as a quiet foundation that supports the space contemplative tone. Outside the core gallery, a long bar anchors the space. Together with a long table and movable furniture, it forms a relaxed lounge area suited for daily craft sessions or small gatherings—fostering intimate moments beyond the exhibition itself.

This space offers a quiet pause within the city. The thangkas hang at its deepest point, inviting visitors to slow down, to connect—with the artwork, with themselves, and with the stillness the space holds.

About

Baicai Design is a multidisciplinary design practice based in New York and Shenyang, working across architecture, interiors, exhibitions, and spatial design. Its practice spans different geographies, scales, and cultural contexts.

Founded by Kaiwen Zhao, Baicai is shaped by his interdisciplinary background in design and architecture. Zhao studied Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture. He currently teaches in the Department of Industrial Design at RISD, and has previously taught at the University of Colorado Denver, lectured at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and served as a guest critic at Syracuse University.

Baicai approaches space beyond the conventional boundaries of interior design, bringing together architectural and product design thinking to address spatial questions. Through different scales of intervention, we explore the relationships between space, objects, and human behavior.

Awards

FRAME Wellness Space of the year Shortlisted
2026

Paris Design Awards Winner
2026

MUSE Design Awards Gold Winner
2026

Dezeen China Rising Firm of the Year
2025

POSITION Award China Best 100 Young Architect
2024

Guangzhou Design Week 40 Under 40
2024

AD China 100 YOUNG
2022-2024

Architizer Best Young Interior Design Firm Special Mention
2024

Forbes China 30 Under 30
2023

FRAME Small Residential of the year Shortlisted
2023

FRAME Award Best Emerging Designer Nominee
2023

APIDA Design Award Excellence Award
2023

FRAME Pop-up Store of the Year
2022

FRAME Window Display of the Year Shortlisted
2022

WYDF TOP 100 Designer
2022

Dezeen Award Shortlisted
2022

Architecture Masterprize Best of The Bests
2022

AD China 100 YOUNG
2020-2022

Architecture Masterprize Honorable Mention
2022

KUKAN Design Award Shortlisted
2022

DNA Award Winner in Workplace Design
2022

DNA Award Honorable Mention in Workplace Design
2022

DNA Award Honorable Mention in Showroom Design
2022

K-Design Award Winner
2022

Novum Design Award Gold Award
2022

Novum Design Award Silver Award
2022

IDA Design Award Honorable Mention
2022

FRAME Best of the Month
2022 April

Design for Asia Award Bronx Award
2021

Design for Asia Award Excellence Award
2021

IDEA Design Award Finalist
2021

Golden Pin Design Award Winner
2021

Golden Pin Design Award Honorable Mention
2022

Vestibulum Inceptos Gravida, Ornare Review,
by Tincidunt Nisl
2024

Ullamcorper Faucibus (Congue) Euismod, by Ligula Parturient, Bibendum Review Porta Libero
2023

Dictumst Tristique, Facilisis Magazine, Edition Two, Porta Libero
2021

Auctor Adipiscing Art Magazine, Porta Libero
2020

Sollicitudin Ornare Magazine,
Porta Libero
2020

Press