Shanghai Jinmaofu Pleasure Garden

The Yuedu Garden at Shanghai Daning Jinmao Palace is a 198-square-metre private courtyard designed by Zhu Weiguo, known professionally as Mark Zhu, with Yu Chenming and Li Mingming, conceived as a precision-focused, refined outdoor room for owners who demand meticulous detailing. The project uses the courtyard as the mediator between building and nature, so that architecture grows naturally from the ground and the courtyard's natural qualities connect the building to its surroundings. Clean lines and light-toned stone produce a fresh, contemporary atmosphere that feels neither precious nor severe. Platforms, ramps, and steps within the courtyard interweave with the building's interior spaces, so that at multiple levels the two leak into one another rather than meeting at a single threshold. People move unconsciously between courtyards and interior rooms at different elevations, forming a multi-layered, three-dimensional circulation. Running water and large mosaic murals in the courtyard are viewed from shifting vantage points along the route, creating a rich, looped outdoor exhibition space in which every turn reveals a new composition of water, stone, and reflected interior. The result treats the private garden as an extension of the apartment's domestic refinement, a small outdoor room designed for quiet daily use rather than ceremonial display. Limited project information is available for this entry.