A legend from ancient China is still stirring up turmoil: that of Bai Suzhen, the White Snake. This ancient spirit turned itself into a divinely beautiful woman. On the shores of West Lake, the woman-spirit meets Xu Xian, a young herbalist with a dreamy look in his eye. In the mists of fate, their souls united, forging a fragile love, ephemeral yet eternal. And so a landscape was born, reflecting their story. Xu Xian is represented in the precision of an orthogonal pattern, a meticulously arranged medicinal garden, where Eastern and Western traditions mingle. Bai Suzhen, meanwhile, rises forth here and there. Her serpentine coils appear and disappear among the pathways. Her living scales evolve in step with the seasons, transforming just like her indomitable spirit.
Between precision and leniency, passion and turmoil, this garden, like their history, is one of contrasts. Here, a narrow passage, the snake’s breath seems to rustle the hedge. There, a relaxing stroll, the coils soothe the mind. Then, a pool, where landscape and sky are reflected in harmony. Suddenly, the snake looms up, only to fall back into the curves of the hedge. And so it is that, with each visit, the story continues to be written, carried by the wisdom of the plants and the breath of an immortal legend.
DESIGNERS
ambiguë (lab) -Clémentine BORY and Antoine MULLER, State-certified (D.E.) architects-
CHINA
Founded in Shanghai in 2024, ambiguë (lab) is a laboratory for crossdisciplinary experimentation in architecture, urban planning, interior design and furniture. The agency's practice is characterised by a hybrid culture, blending French and Chinese influences. This wealth of experience has given rise to projects with multiple reference points, where a variety of interpretations and different levels of reading can coexist, creating ambiguity. The agency's goal is to combine a rational yet sensitive approach, an understanding of space in relation to time, and traditional know-how and innovation.
Clémentine Bory, a French architect with degrees from the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture in Saint-Étienne and Université Laval in Quebec, has built up her experience in prestigious agencies in Rotterdam, Beijing, Shanghai and Toronto, as well as in Lyon and the Alps. With this rich and varied background, she works between two continents and has founded her own creative agency, ambiguë (lab), in Shanghai. Her experience spans architecture, landscaping, interior design, set design and fashion. At ease designing hotel, residential, office and commercial spaces, she has a keen interest in cultural, artistic, heritage and renovation projects. Her strength lies in offering pragmatic, sensitive solutions that create immersive, atmospheric experiences. At the heart of her design philosophy, she favours user-centred urban solutions that are adapted to their context. She pays great attention to detail, from refinement and subtlety to bold aesthetics. Her analytical approach, mastery of bespoke solutions and sense of materials shape her creative identity.
Antoine Muller is a French architect based in Shanghai. He has worked with renowned agencies in France, the Netherlands and China, gaining experience on projects of various types and scales. Driven by a constant desire for renewal, Antoine chose to avoid hyper-specialisation in favour of a diversity of creative opportunities. His approach to design is characterised by the development of clear principles around which the entire project is structured. Guided by a rigorous methodology, he pays particular attention to shared spaces, whether public or private, while incorporating in-depth consideration of environmental impacts.
