Majestic Garden

Client: China Resources Land & Shanghai Nanfang Group

Majestic Garden is located in the heart of Shanghai's Old City Quarter in Huangpu District, jointly developed by China Resources Land and Nanfang Group. With its prime central location, pure courtyard villa typology, and rich historical context, it establishes an irreplaceable position in the city center. The project covers approximately 36 mu (2.4 hectares) and comprises 103 courtyard villas, each with its own garden, following the concept of "one home, one garden." The built area ranges from 210 to 500 sqm. The design preserves historical lanes such as Wangyun Road and Daochuan Lane, maintaining their original scale and alignment, allowing new buildings to naturally integrate into the old urban fabric.

The interior design is led by André Fu, marking his first heritage villa project in Shanghai. He interprets Shanghai's cultural sentiment through a contemporary lens, extracting elements from Shikumen architecture—gateways, brick walls, and courtyards—as spatial fragments rather than mere symbols. The restrained palette of cyan-green, earth brown, and linen creates a tranquil atmosphere, with light carefully channeled. The boundaries between interior and courtyard dissolve, merging daily life with nature. Additional interiors are contributed by Tomoyuki Watanabe and HWCD, each bringing distinct expressions to different villas. Landscape designer Zhu Yufan's studio created the "Eight Scenes of Runyuan," translating the old city's character into a garden narrative that invites exploration.

In construction, the project avoids standardized replication. No two villas are identical; facades feature over thirty distinct styles, with custom-designed gateways and components. Traditional techniques such as "clear brick walls" and "Yuanbao Feng" brickwork—almost lost crafts—have been revived, with brick joint tolerances controlled within 2mm. This is not about nostalgia but about reintegrating craftsmanship into architecture. Twenty-two materials, including old bricks, washed stone, and solid wood, were carefully selected to echo the architectural memory of different eras in the old city.

The project has received Shanghai's ultra-low energy building certification, the first heritage villa to do so. Triple-glazed Low-E windows, low-VOC interior finishes, and over 70% durable materials are not mere labels but form an integrated system that harmonizes historical fabric with living comfort.

Majestic Garden is not a simple renovation. It strives, within the living urban context, to transform cultural heritage into a life that contemporary generations can inherit. The deep lanes, narrow alleys, high walls, and courtyards are both remnants of the past and the everyday reality of the future.