STORE
EN

Jiuqu River “Serenity Villa”

VILLA & MANSION
CHINA
2025
This project directly addresses the core challenge of Chongqing’s mountainous architecture -limited daylight and a humid environment. Guided by the philosophy of “Living Toward the Light,” it deeply integrates architectural transformation with lighting design, redefining the spatial soul of this 1,500㎡ villa.

The design revolves around three key principles: Introducing Light, Shaping Light, and Integrating Light. By transforming the original square lightwell into a circular one, natural daylight is maximized and softened, creating a “Vertical Light Courtyard” that extends through all levels of the residence, from basement to upper floors. The staircase is sculpted into a flowing form that guides both light and sightlines. In the underground spaces, innovative use of glass curtain walls and reflected daylight transforms natural light into a serene interior landscape.

The lighting system perfectly responds to the diverse needs of open social spaces, immersive courtyard experiences, and tranquil private retreats. Through concealed, scene-oriented lighting, natural materials are accentuated, supporting a lifestyle that resonates with nature and embodies the spirit of a peaceful mountain residence.

Ultimately, light transcends its functional role as illumination and becomes a medium connecting architecture, nature, and the human spirit, realizing the ideal of “Creating a Realm Through Light.”

Lighting Design Story

Creating a Realm Through Light, Reimagining Mountain Living | Lighting Design Analysis of Jiuqu River Serenity Villa, Chongqing.

In Chongqing, a city defined by its mountainous terrain, how can a 1,500㎡ villa transcend the limitations of physical space and make light and nature the foundation of everyday life? The answer lies in Creating a Realm Through Light, a project designed by YUE DESIGN and refined through lighting design by HERTZ. More than a spatial renovation, this project is a profound dialogue between light, architecture, spatial experience, and lifestyle.

Inspired by Chongqing’s unique geography and climate, the designers used light as the guiding force to reshape circulation and reconnect architecture, courtyard, and interior spaces. The result is a living environment that breathes, invites exploration, and resonates harmoniously with nature.

Basement Level Two: An Immersive Theater of Light

As the key area for solving daylight challenges, this level was designed to create an immersive natural-light experience.

Internal Courtyard and Glass Curtain Walls
At the center of the space, an internal courtyard is surrounded by full-height glass curtain walls.

This establishes a relationship between stage and audience - the courtyard becomes the stage, while occupants enjoy panoramic views from every angle.

The shifting shadows of four Lagerstroemia trees outside are brought indoors, becoming a dynamic living artwork.

Reflected Daylight
For areas beyond the reach of direct sunlight, careful calculations allow daylight to enter through wall reflections.

This “secondary reflection” produces a soft and tranquil illumination that combines with artificial lighting to create a pure and serene symphony of light and shadow, completely eliminating the oppressive feeling often associated with underground spaces.

Ground Floor: The Breath of Light in Open Social Spaces

The design strengthens the social nature and spatial spirit of the living areas, allowing light and airflow to become invisible threads connecting daily activities.

The Changing Character of Light Throughout the Day
The design carefully considers variations in solar angles and color temperatures throughout different times of day.

During daylight hours, natural light takes center stage. At night, artificial lighting follows the logic of daylight through indirect and accent lighting, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere for gathering and interaction.

Flexible Spatial Boundaries
The living room, dining room, kitchen, and viewing area are arranged in an open-plan layout, unified yet distinctly defined.

The lighting system supports this arrangement through different lighting compositions. Enclosed lighting over the dining area and dispersed lighting in the living room subtly define functional zones without disrupting spatial continuity.

This flexibility supports a variety of scenarios, from family gatherings and entertaining guests to quiet moments alone.

More Information

Design Origin: Living Toward the Light, Transforming Limitations into Atmosphere

Core Challenge
Chongqing’s humid and often overcast climate, combined with the villa’s original architectural limitations, left the two basement levels deprived of sunlight and warmth for much of the year. This became the project's primary challenge.

Lighting and Design Strategy
Rather than viewing the lack of light as a deficiency, the designers transformed it into the starting point of creativity. The core strategy was clear: actively introduce light, shape light, and guide light.

Breaking Structural Boundaries: Bringing Daylight Indoors
Through professional structural analysis and renovation, the original deep square lightwell was transformed into a circular form. Its flowing geometry maximizes the capture of sunlight from different angles. Even during winter, when solar angles are lower, daylight can penetrate deep into the underground spaces.

This transformation is not merely a change in form; it is a ritual dedicated to light. The lightwell becomes a vertical channel of illumination, connecting above-ground and below-ground spaces and allowing natural light to become the most valuable decorative material within the home.

The Staircase as a Sculpture of Light
The staircase connecting the vertical spaces was designed as a living sculpture. Guided by the concept of “the continuation of light,” the design adopts a fully integrated approach. The quiet depth of marble treads harmonizes with white walls, while light flows and shifts with each turn of the stairs.

Movement through the staircase becomes a physical experience of perceiving light and spatial rhythm. No longer simply a circulation element, the staircase becomes a spiritual pathway that guides both light and vision.

Lighting Design Philosophy: Beyond Illumination, Shaping Life

The ultimate goal of the lighting design is to support a tranquil lifestyle that resonates with nature.

Light as a Spatial Connector
From the basement to the upper floors, from interior rooms to the courtyard, light, whether natural or artificial, serves as the continuous thread connecting every part of the residence. It softens the boundary between inside and outside while linking emotional experiences across different levels, transforming the 1,500㎡ villa into a unified living organism.

Light as a Catalyst for Experience
Whether beside the quiet courtyard on the lower level, within the warm family gathering spaces on the ground floor, or in the peaceful solitude of a bedroom, each lighting environment defines and reinforces the emotions and behaviors appropriate to the setting.

Light as a Revealer of Materials
Natural materials such as marble, timber, and microcement are used extensively throughout the project. Lighting precisely highlights the texture of stone, the warmth of wood, and the authenticity of each material, collectively expressing a spatial character that feels grounded, natural, and enduring.

Design Renderings

Floor Plan Layout

Conclusion

The “Creating a Realm Through Light” project at Jiuqu River Villa represents a successful transformation of a regional architectural challenge into a universal expression of residential aesthetics.

It demonstrates that exceptional luxury residential lighting design is not about accumulating fixtures, but about using light as a tool to reshape architecture, connect with nature, and ultimately serve the deeper aspirations of human living. Here, light becomes the environment itself, and the environment becomes life.

Project partners

Related Products

Contact Us

Name
Country
Please select your country
Email
Company
Phone
Website
Message

We use cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience for the following purposes: to provide a better experience on the website, to measure your interest in our products and services, to personalize marketing interactions, and to deliver ads that are more relevant to you. Before continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy & Cookie Policy.
{}