Asia Designers Directory - Green Massage in Shanghai

In Alice in Wonderland, Alice followed the white rabbit into the rabbit hole, to another fantasy world, and the Mad Hatter said: “There is a place where it is different from the world on the ground. It is full of fantasy and mystery”. According to Freud’s “The Interpretation of Dreams”, it is said that “the dream content is due to the formation of the intention, the purpose is to meet the will.” Dreams are a release, where we can briefly escape from reality and experience deep relaxation.

When you enter Green Massage on Madang Road, this “Rabbit Hole” shrinks your reality and leads into a fantasy forest. The process gradually disconnects your tired body from reality, unconsciously surrounded by the natural, and reorganises a new sensory experience. The consciousness of awareness is gradually liberated and relaxed.

: Reception (Photo credit: Yunpu Cai)

: Reception (Photo credit: Yunpu Cai)

Green Massage Madang Road resides in a commercial building in the centre of Shanghai, designed by Jean Nouvel. When you enter the building from the street, you are instantly immersed in this dream-like environment. The massage space is devoid of bright lights or large open windows of surrounding restaurants. A quiet and relaxing atmosphere is the basic tone of the massage space. The store is not in a particularly conspicuous place, located at a basement level, so Vermilion Zhou Design Group turned that into an advantage by making the entrance the “rabbit hole”. The designer covered the entrance with large green plants, lit by glow worm lights. Upon entering the cave, dim lights and oversized fantasy flowers lead you into the garden area.

: Rest and waiting area (Photo credit: Yunpu Cai)

: Rest and waiting area (Photo credit: Yunpu Cai)

: Rest and waiting area (Photo credit: Yunpu Cai)

: Rest and waiting area (Photo credit: Yunpu Cai)

In Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter and guests were drinking afternoon tea in the garden, which lends to the concept of the waiting area – the guest’s senses are already immersed in the “play”. The dancing glow worm lights in the massage area guide you into a deeper maze of fascinating flowers. The gradient light becomes the stage spotlight of the cave. Irregular mirrors conjure the illusion of a dream-like world. The goal is to allow the tired body and mind to relax and stretch through the layers of immersion.

In the end, Alice found herself through the dream world, and at Green Massage Madang Road, Vermilion Zhou Design Group created a “rabbit hole” to lead you out of the stress and tension of an incongruous reality with non-incongruous comfort and tolerance.