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Sergio Mannino Studio
Architectural Branding
Architectural Branding
A contemporary interior design project developed for a luxury residential building in Shenzhen, China. The lobby was conceived as the building's architectural threshold: the first spatial statement residents and visitors encounter, and the environment that establishes the project’s identity before any apartment is seen. The design is based on a clear idea: the lobby should not behave like a neutral hallway. It should function like a curated interior, materially rich and emotionally memorable.
A building lobby is a form of communication. It sets expectations, expresses value, and tells residents what kind of lifestyle the building represents. This project approaches lobby design as a branded environment, using architecture, proportion, and material intensity to generate a strong first impression and a lasting sense of prestige.
The composition is contemporary and disciplined, designed to feel luxurious through clarity and control rather than decoration.
The perception of luxury in a lobby interior is built through physical precision. Materials are selected for depth, tactility, and reflection, allowing the space to feel layered and high-end even when the geometry remains minimal.
Transitions between surfaces are treated as part of the architecture. Lines are aligned, edges are refined, and detailing is designed to be read up close. The project prioritizes long-term visual quality—an interior that still feels premium years after opening.
Lighting is used as an architectural tool rather than a feature. It defines volumes, amplifies material quality, and creates a controlled atmosphere across different times of day. The result is a lobby that feels calm and elevated, with a coherent visual identity that supports the building’s premium positioning.
This lobby was designed to feel timeless and confident: contemporary without becoming trend-driven, luxurious without excessive ornament. The space supports daily life—arrivals, waiting, short conversations—while maintaining the dignity and composure expected from a high-end residential development.
This project reflects Sergio Mannino Studio’s approach to interior design as architectural branding: the built environment communicates identity through spatial composition, material strategy, and atmosphere. The Studio designs premium building lobbies and high-end common areas for developers, creating interiors that reinforce real estate value and elevate the resident experience.
The scope covered the design of a residential development’s lobby and the model apartments, developed in collaboration with Area 17 during a bid process.
The goal was to meet the demands of a high‑traffic space while delivering a sophisticated, memorable experience for residents and visitors. The palette centers on white marble with laser‑cut red floral motifs and green circular elements integrated into the surface.
We treat the lobby as the building’s public threshold. We align circulation, atmosphere, and material choices with the identity the property needs to communicate. We also research local expectations and translate them into a coherent concept that fits the project’s cultural, geographic, and functional context.
A floor plan (if available), target resident profile, operational needs (security, mail, deliveries), expectations and timeline constraints.
Luxury in contemporary interior design is the courage to create what has never been seen before — unexpected material combinations, radical contrasts, ideas that carry risk. It is not defined by price or prestige, but by singularity and creative conviction. True luxury today cannot be copied, because it emerges from a vision that is entirely its own.
